Latest fromPets & Animals

Homeless boys need a place to nest
Roosters desperately need somewhere to roost around the fringes of New Zealand's largest city.

Combating the slaughter
When Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete launched Operation Tokomeza ("terminate" in Swahili), with its shoot-to-kill orders to deal with elephant poachers, he wasn't mincing his words.

Handler who fought off tiger 'selfless'
A clear and grisly account has emerged of the death of Dalu Mncube under the giant claws and teeth of a white tiger.

Pic caught on the hoof up for prize
This photo of giraffes sheltering from the rain at Sydney's Taronga Zoo by NZ amateur photographer Cory Kipa has been selected for the 2014 Sony World Photography Awards.

White House xmas chaos
The familiar black dog with the white chest and white front paws starred in past Christmases in US President Barack Obama's White House, but the first pooch had to let someone else in the picture this holiday season: his little sister, Sunny.

Set nets spell dolphins' demise, say activists
Campaigners convinced NZ's set-net fishing restrictions are a death sentence for the Maui's dolphin have laid cardboard coffins and fishing nets full of plastic junk outside Parliament.

West Coast men deny starving cows, calves
Two West Coast men have denied starving 150 cows and 30 calves to the point where they have to be euthanised.

'Funeral' for Maui's dolphin
A 'funeral procession' for New Zealand's endangered Maui's dolphin species is currently winding though Wellington's inner city streets.

Bird thief's amazing journey
A brazen bird snatched a video camera that was recording crocodiles in northwest Australia and captured fascinating footage of its 110-kilometre journey.

100-day-old panda cub finally named
The most popular giant panda in US-China relations finally was given an identity as the Smithsonian's National Zoo named its female 100-day-old cub Bao Bao after receiving more than 123,000 votes online from the public.

Dying surfer told mates: I love you
Father reveals Zac Young's last words at memorial service while beaches in NSW stay shut as shark is hunted.

Small everyday sounds sending cats into seizures
If you are ever irritated by the sound of your spouse crinkling a packet of chips or rustling a newspaper, then spare a thought for your cat.

Buy Crikey: Gourmet food too precious for pets
Gourmet-isation of pet food is on the rise. Owners of pets, like parents of babies, are made to feel guilty if they don't buy the right foods.

Rich-lister's big game kills
Gun in hand, Kiwi millionaire Mark Gunton stands proudly over the corpse of a fallen African elephant.

From fluffy chicks to fearless
Three endangered karearea (NZ falcon) chicks hatched this week at Wingspan, the National Bird of Prey Centre in Rotorua.

Auckland and Hamilton zoos swap tigers
In a bid to manage the Sumatran tiger breed, Auckland and Hamilton zoos are swapping tigers.

Teen in court over crossbow attack
A teen accused of firing a crossbow bolt through the head of a cat has been granted name suppression in a brief court appearance.

Reefton sighting sparks hope 'extinct' kokako lives on
Call it the kokako cold case. The fate of the South Island kokako, long a mystery, was thought concluded when the bird was officially declared extinct six years ago.

'Extinct' bird could still be alive
A claimed sighting of the South Island kokako, a bird declared extinct six years ago, has fuelled hopes the species could still be alive.

Zoo tiger attacks man, puncturing his neck
A man has been attacked by a tiger at a Queensland zoo.

Franklin Zoo elephant finds new home in San Diego
The Auckland elephant that killed its keeper has found a new home at San Diego Zoo.

'Lord's soldier' fights to keep his snakes
As beads of sweat slithered down his temples, Andrew Hamblin stared in wide-eyed wonder at the 1m timber rattlesnake he had thrust towards his congregation.

Kerre McIvor: Shooter of farmed wildlife fails sporting test
When Melissa Bachman posted a photo of herself posing with an assault rifle and a very dead lion, she must have known she was being deliberately provocative.

Where to find a kiwi
Our national bird may be shy and retiring, but here's a handful of places where you might be able to get close to them.

NZ possum population explodes
The DoC could be facing one of its worst possum infestations in decades, partly because workers who helped with pest control were sent to fight bushfires in Australia.