Recent research shows that 626 common dolphins were caught accidentally in New Zealand by commercial mackerel trawlers between 1995 and 2011. Little is known about the New Zealand dolphin populations, although it is not believed to be a threatened species. … Read more
John Wathen is an award winning photo journalist who recently toured Aotearoa recounting his experience both on the ground and in the air documenting the catastrophic 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. John flew out over the gulf … Read more
By Amelia Reynolds. The Monarch Butterfly New Zealand Trust (MBNZT) is asking New Zealanders to report sightings of tagged butterflies and over-wintering clusters to create a better understanding of the changing migration patterns. Due to their long migration, the endangered … Read more
Photos: Phil Brown. The saddleback, or tieke, is one of the two remaining wattle birds we have in New Zealand from the ancient Callaeidae family. The other members include the kokako and the now-extinct huia. Recently, 40 of these beautiful birds were … Read more
Phil’s image this week shows a North Island Brown kiwi chick only 18 hours old. “When kiwi come out of the egg, they look like a miniature adult – fully feathered and ready to go,” says Brown. “The chick stays … Read more
Last month a Chinese boat that smashed into one of the Phillipine’s protected coral reefs was found with more than 10,000 kg of pangolin meat destined for the black markets. The vessel struck an atoll in the UNESCO World Heritage … Read more
On a night walk at Maungatautari, Phil spotted rare, native frogs and a moth which had all the experts stumped. “On the 28th of April we did a night walk into the middle of Maungatautari Mountain and we saw 17 … Read more
Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra recently pledged to end ivory trade in Thailand, currently the largest unregulated ivory market worldwide. While just 67 authorised ivory traders exist in Thailand, recent market surveys have found ivory products for sale in more … Read more
Photos: Phil Brown. The tiny ruru, or morepork (Ninox novaeseelandiae) is native to Aotearoa, but not endemic (i.e. it is found here, but also found in other countries). On average, it measures about 29 cm and weighs 175g. These nocturnal … Read more
Research from the University of California, LA has shown that by the middle of this century summer Arctic sea ice will be so thin that ships will be able to travel directly over the North Pole. The researchers worked on … Read more