A callout on Friday afternoon has ended up being one of a DoC ranger's better work stories.

The pukeko has gone from pest to New Zealand icon, starring in TV commercials, gracing souvenirs and almost upstaging the kiwi. So how did a long-legged, ungainly bird — the bane of farmers’ lives — become a celebrity, asks Dionne Christian.

NIWA have explored deeper seas than ever before, and found some new strange looking fish.

They can do the laundry, collect the mail, even comfort a child with autism. Suzanne McFadden meets the canine helpers giving people their lives back.

They have long been thought of as man's best friend. But it seems dogs could also have benefits for babies.