Latest fromPets & Animals

Te Papa to defrost new colossal squid
Scientists at the Te Papa museum are hoping a colossal squid now in their possession is a male - making an already rare find an extraordinary one.

Tinder tiger selfies harmful
You might have noticed recently that a plague of "selfies" with tigers appears to have overtaken mobile dating app Tinder (where users "swipe right" to indicate interest; left to reject).

Now ear this - horses 'talk' to each other
Horses have more sense than many people realise, according to scientists who have shown the animals are able to communicate with one another by moving their eyes and ears.

Brian Rudman: Time to cull the human-attacking dog breeds
Let's not get sidetracked over whether or not Housing New Zealand's dog ban failed.

Talk to the Animals: Lizards: The new 'must have' pet?
When it comes to choosing a new pet, some people are opting for a beady eyed and scaly companion in preference to the traditional cat or dog.

Boy mauled, despite dog ban
Housing New Zealand is to look into how a young boy was mauled by a dog on one of its properties, despite a dog ban being in place.

Rare video: Tuatara hatching time-lapse
This is extremely rare footage of a tuatara hatching, filmed at Victoria University of Wellington. The egg was one of 23 being incubated in captivity as part of a joint initiative with the Department of Conservation and Ngati Manuhiri that has saved a threatened population of tuatara from extinction.

Rangers endangered species
The battle against poachers is taking a grim toll on the people charged with protecting wild animals

Black cats savaged in 'selfie' era
For centuries they have faced suspicion, hostility and even death as a result of the bad luck they are said to carry with them.

Talk to the Animals: Become a NZ animal expert
I really like old American cars - I like how they look and how they sound but please don't ask me anything about their inner workings.

Kerre McIvor: Time to get tough on owners of attack dogs
It's time the Govt got tough on the mongrels who choose to have dogs simply to intimidate and make a statement, not to love and care for and have as part of the family, writes Kerre McIvor.

Kitty transfusion saves pet
Remy the cat owes one of his nine lives to a popular neighbourhood tabby whose strong blood kept him alive.

Kiwis would pay to protect NZ's dolphins
New Zealanders want Maui’s and Hector’s dolphins protected, and are prepared to pay for it, according to a new report.

Dog trapped in hole with cat
A dog who spent 30 hours trapped down a cold, four metre-deep hole was joined down there by her owner’s cat.

Tyrannosaurs ran in gangs
Scientists in western Canada have discovered the fossilised footprints of three tyrannosaurs that suggest these fearsome predators may have hunted in packs.

Saving species may need controversial methods
Intensive and sometimes controversial forms of threatened species management may be needed to reverse the increasing rate of global biodiversity losses, a University of Otago zoologist says.

Talk to the Animals: Enforcing animal welfare - whose job is it?
There are three approved organizations in NZ that can act on animal welfare complaints: the police, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and the Royal NZ Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RNZSPCA).

Hero cop stops vicious dog attack
A 17-year-old rescued by a mother-of-two and a police officer when his pitbull viciously mauled him believes the animal couldn't stop.

Malcolm Forbes, Ryan Anderson: Jagger a poster boy for Darwinian peacock theory
What is it that makes rockstars so attractive to the opposite sex? Turns out Charles Darwin had it pegged years ago - and it has a lot to do with peacocks.

Look what the storm blew in...
Roy May has found many curious things on the beach - but he's never seen anything like the creature that washed up in last week's storm.

Hungry seals a road hazard
A new hazard has appeared on Northland's roads and it comes with a bite - hungry, resting or abandoned seals are turning up along the coast.

Great white shark chokes on sea lion
Footage has emerged of the extraordinary moment a dying great white shark tried to beach itself in Australia after biting off more than it could chew.