Animals
Pet rats picking up in popularity
"Smelly, dirty and diseased." Just some of the words associated with rats.
But an Auckland assistant vet is hoping to turn all that around.
Belinda Clarke breeds pet rats and loves them so much, she… Audio
Stock trading: Why NZ farmers import and export animals
New Zealand livestock has a top-class reputation internationally. Exports by sea are banned, so how else do we send animals offshore? Audio
Scientists find 26 new species of worm in Porirua
Scientists have discovered 26 new worm species, and evidence the creatures exist in stunning numbers.
Sleeping elephant seals fall deep into the ocean
Researchers have found elephant seals falling asleep at sea and tumbling hundreds of metres deep in uncontrolled spirals.
The Detail's Long Read: This Little Piggy Went to Europe
By Gregor Thompson: the rags-to-riches story of the kunekune pig, New Zealand’s cutest ambassador. Audio
Swarbrick responds to govt delay on greyhound racing decision
A decision on the future of greyhound racing has been pushed back until after the election. A move animal rights advocates say is a betrayal.
The government put greyhound racing on notice at the end… Video, Audio
National Party proposes reversing the ban on live exports
The National Party is promising to reverse a ban on live animal exports if it's elected to government.
The ban has only just come into effect, with the last shipment of animals leaving Napier this… Audio
Sanctuary hit by cyclone working to restore predator free zone
The aftermath of cyclone Gabrielle is still being felt across many places on the North Island. In the wake of the cyclone many kiwi conservation project workers are still out there assessing any… Audio
Cat hunting competition backtracks on controversial category
Organisers of a hunting contest in the South Island have made a U-turn after receiving what they describe as "vile emails and messages".
The North Canterbury Hunting Competition planned to give $250… Audio
New research: bees are sentient, self aware, are emotional
A growing body of research suggests that bees are sentient, self aware and have emotional lives. It raises questions about how bees are used in the agricultural sector or in laboratory experiments… Audio
Matt Baker: beat bopping rats and feathered dinosaurs
Sydney-based New Zealander Dr Matt Baker returns for a chat about some of the latest science news. This week: can rats 'bop their heads' to a beat, why pedestrians crossing the road naturally form… Audio
'Feisty' but relaxed snow leopards welcomed at Wellington Zoo
Wellington Zoo is now home to a pair of snow leopard sisters. Asha and Manju have come from Melbourne Zoo and are the only snow leopards in New Zealand.
Our visual journalist Samuel Rillstone went to… Video, Audio
Wellington Zoo welcomes new snow leopards
They're out of quarantine and ready to charm.
Wellington Zoo is on Wednesday welcoming two female snow leopards - Asha and Manju.
A lot of effort has been put into their new $6 million home.
… Audio
Hedgehogs wiped out from coastal area with sniffer dog
Hedgehogs have been wiped out on a chunk of Canterbury's coast, thanks to a community conservation project and a dog with a great nose.
Nosing out the hedgehogs on Banks Peninsula
A project to rid Canterbury's Banks Peninsula of pests has reached an impressive milestone, partly thanks to a dog with a nose for hedgehogs.
Pest Free Banks Peninsula, a community-led group made up… Audio
Call for caged hen eggs to be clearly labelled
Eggs should be explicitly labelled to show whether they are produced by colony hens living in cages, a group of vets says.
Giant gorilla statue sightings were 'not Gary'
Police in Scotland are continuing to look for a giant stolen gorilla statue after sightings were ruled out.
Brainy octopus help humans know our own mind
A proposal to farm three-thousand tonnes of octopus for export in the Canary Islands has researchers and scientists alarmed. According to papers obtained by campaign group Eurogroup for Animals… Audio, Gallery
The life of a Toowoomba chicken hat miliner
Occupation, chicken hat miliner... It's a thing for Australian woman Mandy Watts. The Toowomba resident is a master on the crochet needle and her creations, hats for hens, attract international… Video, Audio
What is New Zealand's fish of the year?
The Oceanic Manta Ray - Te whai rahi - is soaring ahead on the final day of voting for New Zealand's fish of the year, Te Ika o Te Tau.
The annual competition is in its third year, celebrating the… Audio
