A small pod of pilot whales that beached on Farewell Spit yesterday is back in the water, but they leave behind five pod mates who died overnight.

Missy is a 2-year-old female staffie/boxer mixed breed dog that needs some company.

Time was running out tonight for a group of pilot whales to swim back out to sea on the high tide after becoming stranded at Farewell Spit in Golden Bay this morning.

A fisherman has become a phenomenon in his native Japan after catching a four-metre giant squid off the coast of Sadogashima Island.

Hundreds of dead red-billed gulls at Taiaroa Head on the Otago Peninsula are no cause for concern, the Department of Conservation says.

When some workers were battling the back-to-work blues after a summer holiday, biosecurity sniffer dog Zeta was tugging at the reins to get back on the job.

Emergency department nurse Kay Hamilton watched helplessly as the life drained from her fox terrier puppy after she was hit by a speeding quad bike.

Don't let his name fool you - this 6-month-old New Zealand white rabbit is a chilled-out dude.

"I can't see this behaviour of having sharks associate food with boats coming to anything good." Shark-cage diving isn't appreciated by some Stewart Is boaties.

Selfish or ignorant holidaymakers are threatening one of the world's most critically endangered birds by letting their dogs roam free within metres of nesting chicks.

It's fair to say the lads are not traditionally keen birdwatchers, especially when enjoying their summer holiday break.

A shiver of sharks spotted near Pauanui Beach on the Coromandel resulted in the popular beach closing for three hours today.

Tens of thousands of dead bats have fallen from the sky as a "catastrophic" heatwave hits parts of eastern Australia.

Sir David Attenborough has seen some horrific sights over his 60-year career, but nothing so bad as what a group of chimpanzees did to a pack of monkeys.

A diver who suffered a potentially fatal blow when struck in the chest by a stingray's barb is one of several people to have a close encounter so far this summer.

The finning of dead sharks will be completely banned by 2016, the Government has announced.

"I've heard of other cats taking socks, but he is prolific." Like a real-life Slinky Malinki, Oscar the cat sneaks out each night to steal from his neighbours.

Editorial: Shooting sharks does not sound very sensible if the purpose is to make beaches safer for swimming.

"I guess social media is good for something." A puppy owner is grateful her pet Misty, stolen outside Grey Lynn Countdown, has been returned.

"I saw everyone running from the water." Swimmers and boarders at Papamoa Beach head for sand as bronze whaler swims through the shallows.

A fisherman stabbed by a stingray while hauling in nets at sea managed to cut the barb off while it was still embedded in his leg.

A cat caused a stir after being stuck in a central Auckland building shaft for four days.

It was a routine flea treatment, his family thought. But it was nearly a case of kitty-cide for Dexter who had a bad reaction to the product - which was for dogs.

Many dog owners have found themselves unable to resist treating a pet that makes "puppy dog eyes" and now scientists have discovered the cute expression taps into our subconscious.

Melissa and Charlie come as a pair, having lived together with a previous owner, and would like to be adopted.

An Auckland man and his friends thought they had spotted a whale when they glimpsed what turned out to be a giant manta ray.

Twenty-seven pilot whales beached at the top of the South Island overnight have been euthanised.

The ability to make friends with those who have similar personality traits dates back to when chimps and humans were on similar evolutionary paths, scientists say.