A sighting of a Haast tokoeka kiwi chick at Orokonui Ecosanctuary is an important milestone for the recovery of the rare native bird, the Department of Conservation says.

A Gisborne woman suffered serious facial injuries in what's been described as a "horrific" attack by two dogs.

Muzzled and waiting in a sterile room for the vet's lethal injection, this was the last sight that 3338 dogs in Auckland saw.

A 5-year-old boy is in a stable condition in hospital after being bitten by a dog in south Auckland last night.

A shivering litter of tiny blue heeler puppies was dumped on city streets on one of the coldest nights of the year.

What are believed to be the first prosecutions over Central Otago's rabbit problem are set to go to court next week.

Penguins can move underwater with the speed of a swallow or swift, but cannot fly even as far as a chicken. How did a bird that in some cases shuffles 65km to its breeding grounds on unsuitable flippers lose its ability to fly there quickly?

A firefighter who resuscitated a puppy rescued from a burning house says he did not think twice before blowing oxygen through the dog's nose.

A puppy had to be given mouth-to-mouth resuscitation by Wanganui fireman Gary Wilson after a central city cottage was gutted by fire.

A couple's plan for a dolphin-assisted birth has drawn scorn and danger warnings from experts.

Two horses have died after being hit by a car in south Auckland this morning.

Circling 180m above the ground, its thermal camera trained on the scrubland below, the drone silently watches for its target.

Ann Huston and her sons hire a boat and head to Indonesia's Komodo National Park in search of giant lizards.

Kiwi kids got close to their national bird yesterday before the chicks were released as part of a history-making breeding programme.

Just about everyone agrees that the moves to permit psycho-active substances to be sold if they can be proved to be safe are A Good Thing. One of the few areas for dispute is whether or not they should be tested on animals.

A pelican - one of only 20 believed to be in the country - has been found shot dead on the banks of the Waikato River.

The former wife of a dead conman has been convicted of forging a fake dog lease in an attempt to extort $15,000 from a voluntary animal shelter.

Learning to ride is a dream come true for some children. Joanna Mathers looks at what riding schools in Auckland and beyond offer.

A fly with a water droplet balanced on its head features in an incredible up-close-and-personal series of pictures of bugs in amazingly sharp detail.