Conservationists were left to hedge their bets when it came to saving a critical population of one of New Zealand's most endangered bird species.

A major 1080 poison offensive succeeded in wiping out 95 per cent of rats and 85 per cent of stoats in targeted forests around the country.

Research suggests our cheeky kea may not be such a bird-brain after all.

The spuds Matt Damon's stranded astronaut Mark Watney grew in The Martian may be closer to science fact than science fiction, say Kiwi and Australian researchers.

When it comes to birds, the ladies are just as capable of glamming up their style as the blokes are - just only when they need to.

A new documentary will show the moment a marine biologist was bitten in the head by a shark in Fiordland.

The phenomenon of 3D printing has given us printed guns, printed cars and printed hamburgers - now it might have ushered in the age of printed hair.

Ian Tarei is waiting. After countless nights sitting in the bush, in the dark, in the middle of nowhere, it's something he's become familiar with.

With the population decreasing at a rate of 2 per cent a year, what will it take to turn the tide?

Designer babies is getting closer to reality as scientists in China claim they're the first to use gene editing to create "designer dogs."

Cryonics: The preservation of animals and humans at ultra-cold temperatures is booming in the US, notwithstanding the $100,000 minimum price tag.

It's been called the "Genghis Khan" of the ant world, and for good reason.

Vulnerable native species may face further risk as climate change makes more of our country hospitable to stray cats.

A team of researchers discovered the hog-nosed rat during a expedition in a remote and mountainous area of Indonesia two years ago.

The teeth of a dog may provide new insight into how humans migrated across the world's largest ocean to New Zealand, and where they came from.

Dr Tom Trnski, head of natural science at Auckland Museum thinks that our marine systems could recover if humans back off.

It is notoriously difficult to get pandas to mate, so cloning might be the next best option.

Who we find attractive isn't determined by some complex genetic construct, but simply by our own personal experiences.

The Herald's science writer Jamie Morton on this week's scientific breakthroughs.

If AgResearch were to disappear from the face of the earth, there would hardly be a ripple in New Zealand agriculture, writes Dick Wilkins. This is a tragedy, and the only solution is to disband AgResearch as we know it.

An experienced big cat keeper who had worked with the woman killed in a tiger attack at Hamilton Zoo thinks the animal should be moved overseas.

From Tongariro, the chick's dad is called "Little Moa", and its sibling is still in the incubation room and getting close to hatching as well.

An invasive species of ants has been discovered to carry a virus linked to the deaths of honey bees.

With Herald science writer Jamie Morton @jamienzherald.

Experts believe a sharp rise in seals coming ashore around New Zealand's coastline is a sign of their gradual recovery from human hunting in the past.

Being neurotic can mean constant worry - but amid all of that gloom lies some pretty powerful bursts of creativity.

Orang-utans are semi-socialised, semi-wild. They can be spooked easily. We shouldn't be surprised one attacked a Kiwi tourist.

Scientist's challenge: work out if asexual returning expat stick insects still need male suitors.

Scientists are putting backpacks on bees - or at least their high-tech equivalent - as part of a new global effort to reverse the decline of our hard-working pollinators.

History tells us how Bavarians innovated what now makes up 94 per cent of the world's beer market after noticing how beer stored in caves over the winter continued to ferment, creating a lighter and smoother drop.