A male orangutan at a US nature preserve has taken a liking to three tiger cubs, after watching his human caretakers nurse the three baby cats.

A Rotomanu farmer who stood trial in March for his part in the starvation and death of nearly 800 cows has been found guilty.

A mother bear and her cubs gave tourists in America's Yellowstone National Park a sharp refresher in the rules on how to appreciate the wildlife - stay a safe distance.

Two seasoned New Zealand spearfishermen found themselves in a sticky situation when over half a dozen sharks swarmed and stole their catch.

Thousands of tourists are thrilled by live encounters with sharks but there are fears drawing them with bait teaches them to associate food with people.

A sheep spray painted with the word 'Isis' on its left flank has been found in Devonport. A post on North Shore Pets’ lost and found Facebook page showed images of the animal.

A dog owner was horrified to find her beloved chihuahua was pecked to death by a gang of angry seagulls.

The bones, believed to be around 2000 years old, were the result of the first archaeological expedition for moa bones in almost half a century.

Endangered cockatoos rescued by police after being found stuffed in water bottles for illegal trade. Pictures may be upsetting.

Tourism official comes up with novel way of entertaining visitors, by creating show featuring "flying" pigs. But not everyone is entertained. Warning: Photos may be upsetting.

The Dunedin woman straddled by a dribbling pig was nursing bad bruises yesterday but holds no grudge against the stinky swine.

The Government says sharks should benefit from a proposed ban on wire traces and shark lines in two commercial fisheries.

A rescue dog has provided a dog's-eye view of the destruction in Nepal as he helps with the rescue efforts.

A hungry pig trapped a terrified motorist in her car in an attempted food raid yesterday.

A Westport man who lost control during an incident with animal control has been ordered to pay for the damage he caused.

The Earth is on course to lose up to one in six of all its species, if carbon emissions continue as they currently are.

A man has been banned from owning livestock for 20 years after failing to provide six calves with sufficient food.

They may be hated pests that love eating our cherished native birds, but pesky introduced stoats have just become a little more interesting to scientists overseas.

A creature from the past that would have looked like strange mix of unrelated dinosaurs has been discovered.

Pet owners are inspired by the names given to newborn royals, new research has found.

It's true that TradeMe lacks enforceable rules for animal sellers. However this isn't just a TradeMe issue, it's a nationwide animal welfare loophole.

A new review calling for bold and urgent measures to control roaming cats - including compulsory microchipping - has been criticised as flawed.

Footage has emerged of the terrifying moment a 6m great white shark lunged at a dinghy carrying an international film crew off Stewart Island.

At the end of this month four rescue dogs will graduate as fully trained explosive detector dogs after completing an intensive nine weeks of training.

An enormous effort to save native birds from a tide of pests has delivered some promising results in the South Island, following 1080 drops across vast swathes of beech forest.

A judge has granted the legal right of habeas corpus to two chimpanzees being held at a biomedical research facility in the US - a decision that animal rights activists hailed as the first time chimps that had been afforded the status of legal "persons".

Puppy farms and dog fighting were topics Labour's animal welfare spokesman Trevor Mallard sank his teeth into at the SPCA Otago in Dunedin yesterday.

They came out of Africa and into Matamata, and brought some exotic friends with them - including Bassoon the American bison and Mr and Mrs Ostrich.