Not only is our quirky national bird flightless — it’s also colour blind.

Rescue dogs Kala and Keira were due to be put down at an Atalanta shelter when a heart-wrenching photograph of the lovable pups saved their lives.

The Maori Party has hit back at comments by Conservation Minister Maggie Barry that allowing kereru to be eaten was a bad idea because "Maori ate moa as well".

Auckland Zoo has released some rare underwater footage of their two elephants Burma and Anjalee swimming together. In the footage captured by zookeeper Joel the elephants look almost weightless. Source: NZN Video/Auckland Zoo

The mother of an Australian surfer who survived a close encounter with a great white shark believes her son's dead sibling was watching over him.

Shark attack survivor Darren Mills said watching surfer Mick Fanning's terrifying encounter brought it all back.

Watch: Auckland Zoo's newest arrival Anjalee joins Burma for a quick dip in this stunning underwater footage.

A gym on Auckland's North Shore has been running classes for dog owners and their canine mates since January.

Singer-songwriter Ryan Adams gave $500 to a cat charity this morning to care for the cat who was rescued from an Auckland cemetery.

A pig was spotted trotting along an Auckland road earlier this morning.

Ruby would probably not be alive - and certainly wouldn't be mobile - without the assistance of New Zealand Pug Rescue, an off-shoot of the Wellington Pug Dog Club.

A dog callously thrown off a Tauranga bridge in the middle of the night is now up for adoption.

A horse whisperer close to Queen Elizabeth has revealed the monarch told him she did not want any more pups.

SeaWorld are facing another public relations headache with animal rights group Peta claiming an employee posed for years as an animal rights activist.

The person who threatened to contaminate infant formula with 1080 poison doesn’t exist, says Westport anti-1080 activist Pete Lusk.

The black and white cat that was rescued from Grafton cemetery, as instigated by US rocker Ryan Adams, has been named.

It is believed Ridley, as she has become known, was caught in strong currents when the turtle was discovered at Lyall Bay beach on Saturday.

Efforts by an American rocker and Auckland Twitter users to rescue a kitten from poverty and possums are continuing.

Three-quarters were in "ideal condition" but 26 per cent were assessed as overweight, the research published in Veterinary Record found.

New Zealand's humpback whale population has jumped to its highest level in 12 years, a new survey has found.

This year’s Cook Strait Whale Survey counted 137 humpback whales, its highest tally in its 12 years and an encouraging indication their numbers are increasing in New Zealand. The annual four-week Department of Conservation survey, which ended on July 11, also broke its record for the highest number of humpbacks seen in a day with 27 spotted on Sunday June 21.

At what level of veterinarian bill is it better to let your beloved cat, dog, turtle, snake or kunekune pig die? writes Matt Heath.

An endangered olive ridley sea turtle being treated for hypothermia after it washed up on a Wellington beach has a 50-50 chance of survival.

Department of Conservation bosses are employing "secret shoppers" to track controversial great white shark dive experiences.

A French bulldog who got carried away with a roll of toilet paper might have got away with it if it hadn’t been for her bull mastiff mate.

Scientists have discovered at least two species of sharks living in an underwater volcano near the Solomon Islands.

A cute takahe chick stole the show today as Motutapu island celebrated 21 years of volunteer conservation work.

An American family have had a surprise package land in their backyard – a baby shark.

Acrobatic pigeons, 39,000 bees and a cockatiel with one-and-a-half legs - these are just a few of the bizarre cases of alleged animal thefts in Britain.