Pigs

Former RNZ Rural News reporter Alexa Cook is traveling through Europe with her partner. She tells Cosmo about the farming observations she has made in Ireland and Scotland. Audio

A Far North farmer and naturalist says wild pigs are causing terrible damage to ancient kauri forest on Northland's steep west coast. Kevin Matthews says he took Te Papa researchers to the Warawara… Audio

Many people believe sheep on steep hill country farms don't affect the water quality of streams – but that's not quite the case, says animal behaviour scientist Dr Lindsay Matthews. Audio

According to animal advocacy group SAFE there are about 15,000 sows confined to farrowing crates at any one time. Pigs can't turn around inside one, but farmers say they're humane. Video, Audio

New Zealand’s longest serving political leader suddenly signed off this week warning that superficial stuff seemed to be drowning out real political issues in the media. Week one of the election… Audio

SAFE is calling for a national ban on farrowing crates, used in 70 percent of pig farming in New Zealand. Checkpoint has exclusive footage secretly filmed inside the crates. Jessie Chiang reports. Video, Audio

Whangarei Councillor Jayne Golightly brought her pet piglet to a council meeting. Or did she? Video, Audio

Day three of the competition and it was time to try trout fishing on Lake Rotoiti. Four hours of bobbing around didn't net a thing. Over most of the week it poured with rain but luckily Friday morning… Audio

Every June the Polaris Te Puna Big Four hunting competition is held in Bay of Plenty. It's an event where four people hunt for four days to collect four species: a boar, stag, trout and pheasant. The… Audio, Gallery

Daniel Todd has swapped life in the big city for one raising rare breeds of pig near Levin. Daniel moved to New Zealand from Sydney three years ago and, loving bacon but horrified at pig rearing… Audio