Animals

VIDEOAnimals
Supplied pictures of a Cheetah cub being hand-raised behind the scenes at Taronga Western Plains Zoo now has a name, Rozi and has been introduced to a companion puppy named Ziggy who is a labrador-cross-kelpie-cross-collie. Rozi is pictured here at 5 months old. Picture: Shallon McReaddie

Dog becomes cheetah cub’s BFF

When single-litter cheetah cub cutie Rozi came along, the keepers at Taronga Western Plains Zoo knew they would need to find her a surrogate sibling. Then along came Ziggy, the playful pooch pal

VIDEOAnimals
The bird's eye view of the osprey nest at Red Rock on a fixed nesting platform by nbn.

Birdcams beam in bird’s eye view

Newly installed birdcams will reveal the nesting habits of some of Australia’s high-flying birds of prey – see the incredible early footage capturing their sky-high nests (these birds can pick view)

Animals
Dingo puppies Muffin and Rusty with Lily Gabriel, River Craig and Wyatt Craig at the Australian Reptile Park. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

Dingo pups melt hearts at park

Eight-week-old dingo duo Muffin and Rusty are winning over young crowds at the Australian Reptile Park with their playful antics, leaving some wishing they could take the playful pair home

VIDEOAnimals
A big cat expert has revealed the shocking truth after footage of a ‘panther’ lurking in Victoria went viral.

Aussie ‘panther’ questions remain

A big cat expert has weighed in after footage claiming to capture a ‘panther’ in Victorian bushland went viral, boosting hopes among folklore lovers that tall tales are true – what do you think?

Explainers
Mosquito stock image. Picture: WHO

Aussie bloodsucker series: mozzies

Part 5: Mosquitoes. These pesky little flies can cause serious health problems if they bite you, but did you know not all mozzies are bloodsuckers? So what do ‘vegetarian’ mosquitoes eat?

Kids news HP promo
Explainers
24/04/2001 PIRATE: 24/04/2001. Jim Paltidis had his ear bitten off by a dog, then sewn back on. Leeches were used to help his recovery.

Aussie bloodsucker series: leeches

Part 4: Leeches. They may have a bad reputation as being slimy and gross but these wriggly worms are vital for human health and the survival of other animals. Find out why they are so important

Explainers
head lice

Aussie bloodsucker series: lice

Part 3: Nits and head lice. These sneaky creatures are hard to spot but boy, do they itch! Luckily you can prevent them from making a feast of your scalp by following these simple steps

Explainers
Flea2. LOCALS are being reminded about the importance of guarding against parasitic insects that can spread from pets to people this summer. To avoid fleas, treat pets with a product that kills both juvenile and adult fleas and stops them from biting. It's also important to treat areas where your pet moves about, like its bedding.

Aussie bloodsucker series: fleas

Part 2: Fleas. These tiny critters pack an itchy bite that can drive you and your pets crazy. But why are they so hard to get rid of? And how can you keep them away once and for all?

Explainers
KIDS NEWS: Paralysis Tick, Ixodes holocyclus, is found in Eastern Australia and is a parasite to native mammals, livestock, pets and people. Picture: iStock

Aussie bloodsucker series: ticks

Part 1: Ticks. They’re small, thirsty and sometimes hard to spot, but if you do find a tick on yourself or your pet, don’t ever rip it out. Here’s how to safely remove one to start our explainer series

VIDEOAnimals
Mother koala

Koala’s healing hug from its mum

The touching moment a koala joey was reunited with its mum following a traumatic car accident has warmed hearts across the country. See the photos of the cutest koala cuddle

Animals
Supplied image of the Large Whale Disentanglement Team, volunteers at ORRCA and NSW Police Force Marine Rescue NSW, to free a young 2 to 3-year-old whale from entangled ropes earlier this week of Sydney's Northern Beaches.   , Originally spotted late Sunday afternoon off Sydney’s Northern Beaches, this young 11-tonne whale was tracked by ORRCA volunteers so that our disentanglement team could take to the water and try to free it.   , The team made multiple cuts and removed several rope loops from the whale’s body. Two small pieces of rope remain on the whale; we expect them to naturally fall off in time. Pic: ORRCA Australia. **Imagery disclaimer** Special permission was given for this drone to be flown within 100 metres of the whale to assist in disentanglement activities.

Whale free after daring rescue

Rescuers risked their lives to free a whale that was tangled in rope off Australia’s east coast. But why are whale rescues so dangerous and how can we stop such situations from happening?

Health
Sugar Bag Bees on flowers

Sugarbag honey ‘the bee’s knees’

Honey from Australia’s stingless ‘sugarbag’ bee has been found to have amazing antimicrobial properties, meaning it could be used to heal infections. But what gives it its amazing power?

VIDEOJust for Fun
Flock of sheep in China rush rest stop and throw down the coffees like they own the joint. Picture: Newsflare via Reuters Connect

Latte-loving sheep guzzles coffee

Table manners were missing in action as a flock of sheep crashed a casual coffee catch up in China – should someone have stopped this woolly wag from chugging the caffeine? TAKE OUR POLL

Animals
A scorpion was caught in the kitchen of a Sydney northern beaches home.

Scorpion surprise in Aussie home

A straying scorpion caused quite a stir after it was found cruising around a suburban kitchen – but this creepy-crawly turned out to be the one who needed saving. Find out what happened

UPDATEDAnimals
, , An exuberant gorilla at Werribee Open Range Zoo is challenging the common belief that this species avoids the rain – and he’s making quite a splash doing it., , , The 25-year-old silverback, Ganyeka, has been filmed on discreet keeper cameras enthusiastically enjoying the rain, putting a cheeky spin on the classic phrase ‘singing in the rain’. Picture: Zoos Victoria

Gorilla caught playing in the rain

Discreetly placed cameras have captured the wonderful moment a gorilla decided to let loose and play in the rain after his brother took shelter from the wet weather. Watch the funny footage here

Animals
Valerie the Dachshund turns three! Picture: The Paws Room

Happy Birthday! Valerie turns three

She’s the mischievous pup who captured the world’s attention after spending 529 days missing on a Kangaroo Island – now Valerie is celebrating back home with her big 3rd birthday bash

Animals
Artist impression of Diamantinasaurus matildae (Judy). Picture: Travis Tischler

Dino’s dinner studied from fossils

The last meal of a sauropod that roamed the earth 95 million years ago has been identified from fossilised remains using advanced geothermal analysis. So what did the giant dinosaur eat?

VIDEOAnimals
LION CUBS DEBUT AT DUBBO ZOO, , Three lion cubs have officially made their public debut at Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo., , The cubs, the third litter born to mum Marion and dad Lwazi, have been gradually introduced to their father and siblings over the past couple of months., , They have now had a chance to explore the Lion Pride Lands habitat, which Keeper Bridget Kaitler said had been a real treat for those guests lucky enough to get a glimpse of them in the last week., , “It’s been really nice to see all three cubs out with their family, and it has been especially nice to see that our visitors love watching them just as much as we do,” Bridget said., , “Guests can now see our lions playing with each other and the cubs learning lots of stalking behaviours. You’ll see the older sisters stalking the cubs, and they stalk their older sisters as well., , “It’s also great to see their interactions with their dad Lwazi. They are so obsessed with him, wherever he goes they follow him and want to jump all over him and get in his tail and his mane.”, , The cubs’ birth brought the lion population at Taronga Western Plains Zoo to 11, with 9 in the main pride including the newest cubs, their parents and their big sisters Amali, Imani, Mara and Zawadi., , Sub-adult males Bahati and Jabari, born as part of Marion and Lwazi’s second litter in October 2023, have now moved away from the pride to form their own bachelor coalition., , In the wild, male lions leave their pride as they reach sexual maturity, a natural safeguard to maintain genetic diversity. The young males form coalitions, and then either form their own pride or live out their lives as bachelors., , “We took our cues from the lions themselves,” Bridget said., , “When we were doing those cub introductions, we saw some signs from Marion and the oldest sisters that it was time for the boys to make their own way., , “We made the decision to separate the boys so they’re now a bachelor group.”, , The best time to see the cubs is between 10:30am and 3pm daily on the smaller of the Zoo’s two Lion Pride Lands habitats., , Brothers Bahati and Jabari can be seen on the largest Lion Pride Lands habitat, where guests can enter the lions’ den on board the Zoo’s purpose-built Pride Lands Patrol truck.

Cute cubs surprise zoo visitors

Three fiery furballs have put on quite a show during their public debut at Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo. See what the lion pride’s newest additions got up to in front of delighted visitors

VIDEOAnimals
In this photo provided by San Diego Humane Society, a bear cub, which was found alone in Los Padres National Forest, lays on top of a teddy bear at the San Diego Human Society Ramona Wildlife Center on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Ramona, Calif. (San Diego Humane Society via AP)

Bear cub’s carers wear costumes

One wildlife team has a novel approach: wearing bear suits to help build trust and familiarity while mimicking maternal behaviours but could the cub get too attached? TAKE THE POLL

POLLAnimals
Sydney Zoo is deeply saddened to confirm the recent loss of two bull sharks in their aquarium. Picture: Sydney Zoo

Two sharks die at Australian zoo

Animal lovers have reacted with sadness after two bull sharks died at Sydney Zoo as some questioned whether such large fish species should even be confined to tanks – what do you think?