This year has seen a number of interesting and amazing encounters between Kiwis and the animals which also call New Zealand home.
Here are five of our favourite animal encounter stories from the year that was:
Rare white fantail - and tūī - caught on camera
Leucistic birds have been in the spotlight in 2020, with a story about a photographer befriending a beautiful pure white fantail in Taranaki hitting headlines in May. Guy Vickers spent weeks getting the little pīwaiwaka to trust him, and getting superb photos of it.
Later on in the year, a similar sighting took place on Mount Victoria in Wellington, except this time it was a rare white tūī. As luck would have it, the very bird itself turned up for a visit when Seven Sharp went out to interview the man who had first spotted it.
Northland fisherman hooks a whale on the end of his line
Steven King’s encounter with the big creature happened off Cape Brett.
Steven King got much more than he bargained for during a trip out on his boat off Cape Brett in September when he hooked a large whale. He wasn't quite sure what to do when the 10-metre whale took his hook — but the situation soon resolved itself.
Wild boar sparks terror in small beach town in North Canterbury
Two young men reported an unfortunate hog encounter.
It might be a little less cute, but this story was definitely memorable — a wild boar causing concerns at a park in Pines Beach, Canterbury. A local councillor was reportedly concerned after the hefty hog attacked two brothers. Connor and Jack were looking for huhu grubs for bait when a wild boar appeared — and it wasn't happy.
Wellingtonians treated to close encounter with orca whales during lockdown walk
Stuart Taylor and his family spotted the pod of about five orca whales at Karehana Bay in Plimmerton yesterday.
Stuart Taylor and his family had an amazing close-up encounter with a pod of orca in Plimmerton, north of Wellington, while out on a walk during the lockdown period in April. The enormous orca came with a few metres of the family — as close as one metre — with Taylor describing it as "unbelievable".
Celebrity cat Mittens given key to the city by Wellington's Mayor
Most Wellingtonians will know of Mittens — the precocious cat who has no qualms about introducing himself at venues and buildings all over the city. Many in the capital have met him, and in May, Mittens received the ceremonial key to the city. Mayor Andy Foster said he wanted to do something lighthearted and fun for the city after what had been a tough few months.
SHARE ME