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.

A native falcon may have lost some of its sight and will spend weeks recovering after being shot.

There was no mistaking what the main attraction was at Auckland Zoo today, as renowned chimpanzee expert Jane Goodall came into view.

It will take another three decades for the Southern Hemisphere's humpback whale population to recover from the slaughter of the whaling era, scientists say.

Winston Aldworth writes in praise of Australia's cuties.

In the mid-1990s, Gus, a polar bear in the Central Park Zoo, alarmed visitors by compulsively swimming figure eights in his pool, sometimes for 12 hours a day.

Cat owners are using new technology to impose strict curfews and prevent the pets hunting at night.

Ugly is in the eye of the beholder - especially for the judges of 29 dogs vying to win the annual Sonoma-Marin Fair's Ugly Dog Contest.

As James Hemopo lay injured and helpless while a bull charged at him, Fonz, his farm dog, fended off the beast.

Most work days, you'll find Harry, Ziggy and Jed at their central Auckland office enjoying long naps on the couch or under their desks and later taking relieving afternoon strolls.

Conservation Minister Nick Smith says the risk to the tiny number of Maui's dolphins from a new block of land listed for oil and gas exploration is 'small'.

It's The Hangover-meets-Jurassic Park. While most stag parties involve paintballing, the pub or a strip club, one group of friends spent did some impromptu palaeontology.

An eerie photo of millions of spiders fleeing flooded farmland in Hikurangi last week has gone viral, after it was posted by a popular science Facebook page.

Does pest status take away an animal's right to be treated humanely?

Satao, one of Kenya’s largest elephants, has died after being shot by poachers using poisoned arrows.

A plucky NZ mum presented the Duke of Edinburgh with a surprise birthday gift, but the famously grouchy royal asked her to get someone else to carry it.

The owner of a world-famous dog found floating on a log near Great Barrier Island this week has spoken - and this fishy dog's tale is not all it seemed.

A dog, which had been washed out to sea following this week's wild storm, was rescued by the Navy and has now become an overnight sensation.

becoming an octogenarian has only ramped up Jane Goodall’s globe-trekking schedule, because there’s far too much to be done to pause for a breather.

A dog which had been washed out to sea was rescued by the Navy, following this week’s wild storm.

Crayfish can feel anxious, according to a new study showing that "human" emotions are more widespread among animals than previously thought.

A different kind of detector dog is set to be introduced near airports soon that will hunt out snakes, birds and other reptiles that may find their way into the country.