Latest from Pets & Animals
South Africa: A loud bird finds a lush niche
Pest, charming oddity or just background noise, the Hadeda ibis is a feathered phenomenon in suburban South Africa.
Is elephant ivory funding al-Shabab?
Al-Shabaab is deriving funds for its terror campaigns from elephant poaching in Kenya and elsewhere, activists and conservationists claim.
Growing appetite for crocodile meat and eggs puts reptile at risk
Crocodiles were once so abundant along the rim of southern Jamaica that images of their toothy jaws and spiny armour crown the tropical island's coat of arms.
School holiday ideas for crafty kids
From glitter paintings to yarn bombing, Danielle Wright rounds up what's on offer for crafty kids over the holidays.
Dog poisonings: Sea slug eggs
Eggs laid by toxic sea slugs are the likely cause of seizures suffered by dogs walking on Auckland beaches, a marine ecologist says.
Cock-a-hoop over transgender hen
The quiet settlement of Maketu has been rocked by a one-in-10,000 occurrence - a hen changing into a rooster.
Zimbabwe: Poachers poison 91 elephants
The stench of rotting elephant carcasses hangs in the air in western Zimbabwe, where wildlife officials say at least 91 elephants were poisoned with cyanide by poachers who hack off the tusks for the lucrative illegal ivory market.
Man charged after rottweilers allegedly maul boy
The owner of two rottweilers that allegedly mauled an 8-year-old Christchurch boy has been charged by police.
Robbie Deans' bright future
When it came to the Wallabies, Robbie Deans lasted longer than anyone expected.
Liberating our birdsong needs public's backing
Getting rid of pests may sound far-fetched, but as Jamie Morton reports, so did the idea of conquering Mt Everest.
Big cull will put songs in canopy tour
In a mist-shrouded patch of native forest in the Mamaku Ranges near Rotorua, one eco-minded tourism venture is trying to create a slice of the predator-free dream.
Larry the purrfect PM puss
British PM David Cameron's office has denied that his family has no love for Larry, the 10 Downing St cat.
Memorial to Rena's small casualties
The container ship grounding on Oct 5, 2011 that became our worst maritime environmental disaster will be commemorated with a sculpture depicting some of its tiniest victims.
Christchurch's quake dogs
The canine heroes and victims of Christchurch’s earthquakes are immortalised in a new book by Laura Sessions and Craig Bullock.
Cow drowns in effluent on hellish trip
Two dairy farmers, a stock agent and a trucking company have been prosecuted for putting 25 cows through a hellish trip to the slaughterhouse.
Volunteers finish fairy prion fence
About 130 pairs of hands and a "year's worth" of weekends have helped complete a predator-proof fence perched above the cliffs of St Clair, Dunedin.
Nine cows killed by lightning in Waikato
A Waikato farmer has been left counting the cost of Saturday night's wild electrical storm after finding nine cows killed by lightning.
Rihanna's Instagram leads to arrests
Pop star Rihanna spent a weekend at the beach in Thailand, leaving behind a trail of racy tweets and an incriminating Instagram photograph.
Life in isolation for killer elephant
A killer elephant remains alone at a closed zoo where the owners are refusing offers of help.
Cat sent for neutering accidentally put down
A healthy family pet has been accidentally put down after going to the SPCA for desexing.