An inquest in Gloucester has heard how a plane crash that killed a British pilot in the Congo may have been caused by passengers panicking over an escaped crocodile.

Scientists and conservationists are making a last-ditch effort to block the West Australian Government's plan to extend its controversial shark cull for three years.

Fergusson, the 10kg cat, is a regular sight in the corridors of Waikato Hospital, cheering up patients and posing for photographs as he goes.

The next David Attenborough need not have any natural history qualifications but must be able to make the animal world entertaining for viewers, a senior BBC executive has said.

"Essentially any plonker can open a pet shop and be responsible for the wellbeing and future of vulnerable animals," writes Sally Hibbard.

The largest flying bird in history had a 24 feet wingspan - more than twice that of the biggest living albatross - and dined on fish probably caught in mid-flight over the open ocean, a study has found.

A dead whale that has washed on to the shore of Taranaki is thought to weigh about 100 tonnes and is unlikely to be moved from its final resting spot.

Hastings District Council has freed a Boxer X called 'Dougie' after receiving hundreds of messages protesting him being seized by Animal Control.

A speeding motorcyclist who fatally hit a fox-terrier puppy on Haumoana Beach has been called "dark" and "ugly" by the dog's owner.

The Invercargill woman charged with keeping too many cats on her city property can be now be named.

The moa were driven to extinction due to human activities - over-hunting and habitat destruction. Here are 10 other animals mankind has wiped out.

Kendall Jones, 19, has provoked worldwide fury after posting pictures of herself smiling next to animals she hunted, including a lion, rhinoceros, leopard, elephant and zebra.

Eating responsibly from the sea means to be informed of the issues surrounding the fishing industry and using our collective consumer power to make a difference.

David Cunliffe says Trevor Mallard's plan to resurrect and reintroduce the moa to Lower Hutt is "not going to fly".

Arachnophobes take note: a woman has been arrested on an arson charge after she tried to kill a spider with fire.

Crocodiles, cane toads and the mosquito-borne dengue virus may start cropping up in more southerly regions of Australia as the tropics expand due to climate change.

A bird rescue centre is caring for six giant petrels after concerned members of the public found the birds in distress.

There was a purrfect ending yesterday for a wayward cat stuck up a palm tree in a suburban garden for 10 days and nights.

A Swiss zoo which caused a public outcry by euthanising a healthy baby brown bear because it was being bullied by its father has said the cub will now be preserved and displayed to educate schoolchildren.

When Vicki Parry's highly trained Siberian husky nudges forcefully into her leg, she knows it's time to do a diabetes test of her blood-sugar level.

Peter Dunne warned Government that banning the synthetic drug testing on animals would give momentum to wider campaigns to remove all animal trials.