Stories by Alison Ballance

New research shows lead-based bullets used to shoot wild game contaminate the meat, posing a health risk to humans and wildlife.

As Cyclone Cook passes over New Zealand's east coast, cutting power and closing roads, Alison Ballance looks at the science of tropical cyclones.

When the earthquake struck at two minutes after midnight, the ground ripped apart at 3km a second. Timing, writes Alison Ballance, really is everything. Video

There have been more than 1600 earthquake aftershocks since the 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck in the early hours of Monday morning.

A cartwheeling spider, a "chicken from hell" and a Japanese pufferfish all make an appearance on the annual global list. Audio

A 2-metre long blue shark which has been captivating passers-by on Wellington's waterfront has been given a helping hand to freedom. Video

The world's biggest island rat eradication has been completed with a final load of bait dropped on subantarctic South Georgia Island by a NZ helicopter pilot. Audio

Scientists from Te Papa Tongarewa and the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) had a rare opportunity today to examine an intact colossal squid. Video