Animals

A good news story now for a bird that was once driven off New Zealand's mainland by introduced pest species. The grey-faced petrel or Northern Muttonbird has returned to the Waitakere Ranges thanks to… Audio

Who doesn't love a Lemur? Nobody, that's who! Harmony Neale is the Primate Team leader at Wellington Zoo - and recently the zoo welcomed a group of ring-tailed lemurs Nathan Rarere asked Harmony where… Audio

A herd of wandering wild elephants has captured the attention of the world - clocking up millions of views online.

They've travelled 500 kilometres through South China over the last year - and are… Audio

Turtles are the fascination of author Louise Pryke, lecturer and honorary research associate at the University of Sydney's Department of Classics and Ancient History. Among the most endangered groups… Audio

A recent study out of Australia showed that about a third of people there would rather spend time with their pets than people, with women more likely to prefer their furry friends to humans. And it's… Audio

Author Simon Garfield's latest book, Dog's Best Friend, draws upon history, science art and the writer's own personal experiences with his black Labrador retriever Ludo, to dissect the enduring… Audio

Philip Armstrong's poetry and Laura Jean McKay's award-winning novel The Animals in That Country feature animals as significant characters. The authors talk at 2020 Word Christchurch. Audio

As the tide rises, rescuers are racing to refloat 40 whales stranded at Farewell Spit, at the top of the South Island.

The long-finned pilot whales were spotted on the beach at 9.30am and a team of… Video, Audio

"I want to look at issues of extinction and infestation, cruelty and conflict. I want us to feel that we are being watched and that stock is being taken. I want us not to get away with it." Those are… Audio, Gallery

Domestic cats appear to hunt less when their diets are richer in animal-sourced protein, according to a newly-released study out of the University of Exeter in England. Professor Robbie McDonald is… Audio

Late last year, we brought you the curious case of 80-year-old Doug Hodgetts and his missing companion, a seven-year-old Jack Russell named Tabatha.

Hodgetts believed his best friend was stolen on… Audio

Each week retired polytechnic lecturer Sandra Kyle visits two local meatworks to conduct (usually solitary) vigils for animals on their way to slaughter. A committed vegan and local representative of… Audio

Megan Alderson from The Strand Veterinarian answers all of your questions about your pets for the Christmas season. Audio

The Man-the-Hunter hypothesis looks to have been well and truly debunked, with research suggesting the early big-game hunters of the Americas were female. Dr Randy Haas joins the show to discuss his… Audio

The Hastings dog breeder at the centre of a Checkpoint  investigation into the poor health of puppies puchased by two Auckland families lost a  Dispute Tribunal's case after selling a beagle. Video, Audio

A Hawke's Bay woman continued to breed puppies on her farm, despite the discovery of a highly contagious and potentially fatal parvovirus just months earlier.

The revelation is part of a Checkpoint… Video, Audio

Is the way we breed and keep pet animals essentially cruel and unethical? Esther Woolfson is an Scottish author and animal lover. Her latest book Between Light and Storm: How We Live With Other… Audio

They say a picture's worth a thousand words, but what about $100,000 fine?

That's what selfie hunters posing with little blue penguins in Napier could face if caught.

Department of Conservation… Video, Audio

Five of New Zealand's rarest parakeet chicks have been successfully hand raised after they were apparently abandoned by their parents. Captive breeding manager Jess Flamy told Checkpoint it was a… Video, Audio