Animal Behaviour

Scientists find eastern Australian humpback whales benefited from a reduction in human activity on the ocean during the first year of the pandemic, recording lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol. 

Athena Perkusich says her special bond with a horse helps her connect and relax. She is among thousands of young people benefiting from an equine program in the Kimberley.  

A PhD candidate urges citizen scientists to log sightings of the "mysterious", semi-aquatic animals — also known as water rats — so researchers can gather more information about its population. 

Melissa McDougall fears someone will be seriously injured after her son was menaced and her dog was badly injured by two dingoes on Broome's Cable Beach — the fifth attack of its kind in less than a year.

The 3.3m saltwater crocodile that triggered the closing of Cable Beach has been captured and rehomed at nearby Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park.

Scientists used to think birds were split into two groups: those that learn or imitate sounds, and those that can't. But a tiny wren from Aotearoa New Zealand bridges the two.

Scientists are piecing together a picture of how Australia's extinct giant kangaroos moved.

Ruby Buchanan was getting ready to take her dogs for a walk when she and a friend were "fully charged" by four emus outside Broken Hill. A ranger says the large flightless birds can attack around this time of year as chicks mature.

Wild elephants may be able to communicate with other members of their group by using sounds akin to names, a new study suggests.

New research has revealed the devastating impact Tropical Cyclone Ilsa had on bird populations on Bedout Island off WA's Pilbara.

A nearly two-decade study of birds living in Melbourne's Albert Park has revealed surprising relationship patterns between black swans.

Claude the leaf thief is back for more and it seems there is no stopping this brazen koala — now stealing his booty in broad daylight and bringing his mates to munch.

Shark fatalities on a remote coastline west of Adelaide accounted for 30 per cent of all shark deaths last year. But while other states pour millions of dollars into mitigation programs, the SA government says it is still working on a plan.  

Riding a horse in Sydney is enough to turn heads. Thanks to a viral video, "Auburn Cowboy" Ehtesham Ahmad gets recognised even when he's out of the saddle.

A deadly strain of avian influenza has breached the world's most remote continent. Scientists say it's only a matter of time before it reaches Australia. 

Broader adoption of keeping cats safe at home would have large benefits for cat welfare, human health, local wildlife and even the economy. So, should cat owners be required to keep their pets contained to their property?

Daisy is thought to be the only dog in the world using her nose to save a critically endangered mushroom. 

Queensland wildlife officers targeted the large animal after it launched itself out of the water and onto Dean Grieve's houseboat, with authorities concerned crocodiles are being drawn to the area by discarded fish scraps and crab pots.

After unsuccessful attempts at feather transplants, Stan the rescued wedge-tailed eagle has defied the odds as wildlife rescuers work to help the bird relearn how to fly.

An animal sanctuary is receiving up to five phone calls a day from dog owners asking, "Can you take my Maremma?" as they find the bundles of fluff become large dogs needing lots of room and discipline.

Many Australians prefer to be as far from a shark as possible, but scientists are concerned that some people are getting too close to critically endangered species.

Authorities corral an escaped zebra almost a week after it and three others ran out of a trailer on its way from Seattle, Washington to Montana.

When Bradley Luke was playing golf earlier this year he was hoping for a hole in one, not life-threatening holes in his leg. He's one of several outback residents to have survived a deadly snake bite in recent months as reptile numbers soar.

Grey-headed flying foxes move into new locations in search of food and habitat, and their defenders say residents need to learn to live with the sometimes noisy and smelly creatures.

Authorities are monitoring pods of whales off WA's south-west coast to ensure they do not return to the beach, after most of those involved in a mass stranding at Geographe Bay near Dunsborough swam back out to sea.