His species are the ultimate survivors, the solitary legacy of an order of reptiles that thrived in the age of the dinosaur. But one tuatara needed a little extra help.

A farmer says he was powerless to stop a man who cut the teats off of around 20 of his milking cows.

They call him Braveheart - and it's a name he wears every bit of.

An animal rights advocate wants to live in a Miami bathtub for four weeks to protest an orca's captivity.

An elderly endangered bird from Zealandia is receiving treatment at Wellington Zoo after being found lame in the left leg.

A young goat rescued from his muddy grave by a kind-hearted kayak guide is almost ready to join his rescuer on the water.

Eight new detector dog teams are beginning their jobs in Auckland this week as the international travel season kicks off.

Babies living with dogs were 26 per cent more likely to snore in their sleep when they grew up.

INCREDIBLE PHOTOS: Woman saves two-metre-long sevengill shark after it became stranded while fleeing hungry orcas.

Christchurch Police have helped a mother duck and her ducklings cross a busy intersection near Christchurch Hospital.

Scientists discover new species of deadly spider burrowed in rotting log in NSW.

Action man Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson turned real-life hero when he dived into a family swimming pool fully clothed to rescue his new French bulldog.

A chimpanzee at Wellington Zoo has found a way to foil the ground-breaking surgery vets carried out in a last ditch effort to save her remaining ear.

Nobody really knows the reason for the popularity of cats, and if they do know they find it difficult to express it in words, writes Bob Kerridge.

Above a road through a forest hangs a long, thin suspension bridge resembling a power line.

Man blind in one eye and 85 per cent deaf may have to return his hearing dog because he can't find a new place to live that will let him have a dog.

A 65-year-old man has been attacked by a shark while surf skiing off the New South Wales coast today.

Inmates at Rolleston Prison have been showing their softer side, knitting blankets for abandoned and homeless animals rescued by the SPCA.

Researchers find that cats, unlike dogs, do not need humans to feel protected, preferring to look after themselves.

Two seals have come ashore in Auckland this morning, one for a lazy day in the sand, the other for a trip to the hospital.

Warning: Contains graphic content. The stomach-churning footage of a large python expelling five whole birds.

The BirdLife Marine Programme’s work to reduce seabird bycatch in high seas fisheries will be familiar to followers of our efforts to save several albatross species from extinction. Source: Birdlife International/YouTube www.birdlife.org/marine

Ancient DNA analysis has revealed the safe havens where New Zealand seabirds found sanctuary from early human hunting.

Auckland Zoo has welcomed its first kiwi chick of the season just as the zoo said goodbye to winter.

Wellington Zoo ape to have ground-breaking procedure in a last-ditch effort to save her remaining ear.

Over the weekend a nice lady in a small white car ran over my dog Colin. It was horrible for the little guy but he wasn't the only victim, writes Matt Heath.

A piece of the country came to Takapuna today when three spring lambs arrived at The Department Store.