Animal-lovers hoping to catch a glimpse of Auckland Zoo's brand new baby pandas should plan for a viewing date in March.

Flatulence from 90 cows in a German barn sparked a methane gas explosion that damaged the building and left one cow slightly injured with burns, police said.

Cadbury has vowed to launch an investigation after a picture of a wasp embedded into one of its chocolate bars was posted on Twitter.

Anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd says it has boxed in the Japanese whaling fleet's factory ship, effectively suspending whaling in the Southern Ocean.

"Last night," ranger Mike Ogle said, "things went better". By better, he meant just one pilot whale out of 49 that volunteers had nudged back into the rising Golden Bay tide had returned to shore to die.

A Dunedin state housing tenant and the SPCA want Housing New Zealand to reconsider its dog policy.

Housing New Zealand has rejected claims it has a new plan to evict dogs from state homes.

A New Zealand dairy company is reportedly being investigated by Chilean authorities over allegations it inhumanely slaughtered thousands of calves it couldn't use for milk production.

'I'm a grown woman - I feel discriminated against.' Housing NZ is tightening the leash around allowing dogs in state houses, and tenants are unimpressed.

The picturesque bay at Taiji, 420km south of Tokyo, is the site of the world's largest annual dolphin slaughter.

A swimmer who had a close encounter with orca in Wellington's Lyall Bay yesterday was never in danger, an orca expert says.

When most of us think about pets it's cats and dogs that top the list. Sally Hibbard sheds some light on five alternative animals worth considering.

Canterbury SPCA welfare investigators are run off their feet trying to catch up after a record month for complaints in December.

Washington and Tokyo have been drawn into an unexpected diplomatic spat over the annual slaughter of dolphins in Taiji.

Department of Conservation rangers are checking beaches at Farewell Spit this morning for any signs that a pod of whales restranded overnight.

A colony of ants have set up home in the International Space Station as part of an experiment to see how their behavior changes in an environment of low gravity.

Over 250 dolphins are being held captive in a cove on the coast of Japan, waiting for either a life in captivity, or slaughter.

Once a pony girl, always a pony girl it seems, as Joanna Mathers reacquaints herself with her love of horses.

A babysitter attacked by a dog wants the Dog Control Act reviewed after she was threatened with prosecution.

A large number of pilot whales refloated after beaching at Farewell Spit in Golden Bay are in danger once again.

More whales have stranded themselves at the top of the South Island days after nine were put down due to being beached at the same spot.

Kiwiboatbuilder Rob Innes has helped construct a line of supercharged vessels that look like sharks, dolphins or killer whales.

A pod of orca whales has been spotted near the entrance to Akaroa Harbour on Banks Peninsula.