The first egg of the season, from Hodges Bush near Whangarei, has hatched a kiwi chick at Auckland Zoo.

The "sick" and "senseless" death of a dog dragged at least 4km behind a vehicle has horrified a motorist who tried to save the animal.

Campers have described the moment they came face to face with a lion on the loose in a village in the east of England.

It's not often a pet cat has a similar stature to a young boy sitting, but 3-year-old Santiago Falla almost met his match at the Pet and Animal Expo.