A researcher embarking on the country's biggest shark-tagging exercise says New Zealand is lacking scientific data about its rapidly declining shark populations

The owners of a seafaring cat who was presumed drowned after falling overboard were amazed to be reunited with their pet nearly five weeks later.

A pest control programme on land near Lake Wanaka has eradicated almost 700 pests - including a cat compared in size to a panther - in little more than a year.

A comprehensive study into the mass mortality of yellow-eyed penguins on Otago Peninsula this summer is needed if the endangered species is to survive on the region's shores, University of Otago Associate Prof Phil Seddon says.

Slaughterman Kent Sambells' workload was "hectic" last week as Waikato farmers called him in to destroy ailing cattle and take them away for processing into pet food.

A damp start to summer followed by a prolonged spell of dry weather has provided perfect conditions for biting insects.

Liz Light visits Ralph Hotere's final Hokianga home.

Eco-tourism is popping up all over India. Liz Light goes birdwatching.

An American proposal to offer more protection to polar bears by prohibiting trade in their skins has failed at a major conservation conference.

While the world is focused on the dramatic campaign to stop Japanese whaling in Antarctic waters, conservationists are focused on a less known threat to marine mammals. And this time the target is the US Navy.

The Auckland Council says it will not tolerate people eeling in public parks after an eel trap was recently found at Western Springs.

A British university student who fried a hamster has been ordered to do 120 hours of community service.

The road-hugging habit of a rare flightless bird could put a spoke in the wheel of the Department of Conservation's plan to open the roads of Auckland's Rangitoto and Motutapu Islands for a year-round mountain biking venture.

A solo mother has been left with a $10,500 bill after her pet's neck was broken in an attack by another dog whose owner has failed to fulfil a promise to foot the bill.

Sharks are being slaughtered at an unsustainable rate, with a new study showing 100 million are killed a year.

A police dog known for his determination to get his man was back at work yesterday, days after being throttled by a man police were trying to catch.

The close-knit Muriwai community struggles to come to terms with the loss of a friend and surf club supporter, Adam Strange.

New Zealand's threatened species of rare native duck, the whio, is making a comeback after a bumper breeding season.

Swimmers are likely to be allowed back into the water at Muriwai Beach tomorrow, providing nothing "untoward" happens today.

Beaches on the west coast have now been reopened following yesterday's fatal shark attack except for Muriwai, which will remain closed until Saturday.

A man who captured dramatic footage of a police officer shooting at a shark which killed a man at Muriwai Beach has hailed the efforts of police and surf life savers.

A review of beach safety policies will be conducted in the wake of yesterday's horror Muriwai Beach shark attack, but Australia-style shark nets have been ruled out.

Friends and family members have paid tribute to Muriwai Beach shark victim Adam Strange, a "big-hearted man" who "lived for the water between his toes".

Great white sharks are no strangers to Muriwai and the warm weather this summer may have brought them closer to shore.

Gun shots slow down and lose power almost immediately after they enter water - and the shark would need to have been on the surface for hits to be fatal, experts say.