Manufacturers of party pills could be prevented from testing their drugs on animals if they cannot prove it is worth the pain they could potentially cause.

Party pills will be tested on animals before they are allowed to be sold because "human safety is ... paramount", Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne says.

Pro-surfer Dave Rastovich was here to help save the threatened Maui's dolphin, but in the end it was them who helped him.

No charges will be laid against a man who horrified dozens of drivers by carrying his dog like a huge handbag while walking on a main road.

Auckland Zoo is celebrating its 90th birthday with an invitation to others over the age of 90.

The antics of dolphins off the beach at Thorne Bay put smiles on faces but when a couple of swimmers ducked below the surface a big surprise awaited.

A group of children were happily playing in the water at Paihia, cooling off from the hot sun - then someone yelled: "Shark!"

A man who was gored by a longhorn cattle beast, which lifted him into the air several times with its horn lodged in his stomach, is in a stable condition.

Wild birds including ducks, geese and pheasants are being poached from public parks in Auckland and being turned into dinner.

A man attacked by a longhorn cattle beast has been flown to hospital by the Palmerston North Rescue helicopter with serious stomach and chest injuries.

The volcanoes of Mordor are erupting right on cue for the Hobbit premiere, but animals have been the problem.

New Zealand has joined Australia in questioning the validity of Japan's whaling for scientific purposes in the Southern Ocean, says MP Murray McCully.

Visit to dentist proves labour-intensive operation for Auckland Zoo's oldest male orang-utan.

A wrangler at the centre of claims animals were mistreated during filming of The Hobbit stands by his allegations, but says he never intended to tarnish the movie.

Sir Peter Jackson says accusations of animal cruelty are distressing to dedicated staff.

An encounter with ancient creatures of the Galapagos.

Scientists in Britain have found a way to get dogs with severe spinal injuries back on their feet in a discovery that raises hopes for paralysed humans.

Armed with air rifles, silencers and night vision goggles, hunters will be staking out the Alexandra bridge over the next few weeks.

An Eketahuna woman is singing the praises of her english cocker spaniel Izzy after it sniffed out another dog that had been trapped for four days on a sheer cliff face.