Hundreds of dead red-billed gulls at Taiaroa Head on the Otago Peninsula are no cause for concern, the Department of Conservation says.

When some workers were battling the back-to-work blues after a summer holiday, biosecurity sniffer dog Zeta was tugging at the reins to get back on the job.

Emergency department nurse Kay Hamilton watched helplessly as the life drained from her fox terrier puppy after she was hit by a speeding quad bike.

Don't let his name fool you - this 6-month-old New Zealand white rabbit is a chilled-out dude.

"I can't see this behaviour of having sharks associate food with boats coming to anything good." Shark-cage diving isn't appreciated by some Stewart Is boaties.

This male Muscovy duck was brought in as a stray.

Shark season is in full swing as many species return to feed and frolic in our warm summer waters. Keen-eyed boaties and beachgoers have a good chance this week of spotting hammerheads, bronze whalers and even whale sharks.

Selfish or ignorant holidaymakers are threatening one of the world's most critically endangered birds by letting their dogs roam free within metres of nesting chicks.

It's fair to say the lads are not traditionally keen birdwatchers, especially when enjoying their summer holiday break.

Tens of thousands of dead bats have fallen from the sky as a "catastrophic" heatwave hits parts of eastern Australia.

Sir David Attenborough has seen some horrific sights over his 60-year career, but nothing so bad as what a group of chimpanzees did to a pack of monkeys.

A diver who suffered a potentially fatal blow when struck in the chest by a stingray's barb is one of several people to have a close encounter so far this summer.

The finning of dead sharks will be completely banned by 2016, the Government has announced.

"Somehow he got flattened." The wife of a Tihoi farmer who suffered "bumps and bruises" after being sat on by a cow is still unsure how the accident happened.

Abandoned on the streets with a collar embedded in her neck, Zahara has recovered and is ready for a loving home.

"I've heard of other cats taking socks, but he is prolific." Like a real-life Slinky Malinki, Oscar the cat sneaks out each night to steal from his neighbours.

Editorial: Shooting sharks does not sound very sensible if the purpose is to make beaches safer for swimming.

A fisherman stabbed by a stingray while hauling in nets at sea managed to cut the barb off while it was still embedded in his leg.

A cat caused a stir after being stuck in a central Auckland building shaft for four days.

It was a routine flea treatment, his family thought. But it was nearly a case of kitty-cide for Dexter who had a bad reaction to the product - which was for dogs.

Many dog owners have found themselves unable to resist treating a pet that makes "puppy dog eyes" and now scientists have discovered the cute expression taps into our subconscious.

Melissa and Charlie come as a pair, having lived together with a previous owner, and would like to be adopted.

An Auckland man and his friends thought they had spotted a whale when they glimpsed what turned out to be a giant manta ray.

Twenty-seven pilot whales beached at the top of the South Island overnight have been euthanised.

The ability to make friends with those who have similar personality traits dates back to when chimps and humans were on similar evolutionary paths, scientists say.

"Cull pollies not sharks" urged one of the placards waved by the thousands of protesters who rallied at the weekend.

The SPCA was given 14 pigeons in September after their previous owner became dismayed at the rate they were breeding.

A twig snaps, a crow calls, but nothing moves in the dense pine forests of Spain's Guadarrama mountains.