Stockholm More than 300 wild reindeer were found dead after lightning struck a central mountain plateau in southern Norway, authorities say.

President Barack Obama is set to vastly expand a marine sanctuary northwest of the main Hawaiian Islands, White House officials said Thursday, creating the world's largest protected marine area as he seeks to cement his environmental legacy in his last months in office.

Some of Australia's leading scientists are proposing that the endangered Tasmanian devil should be reintroduced to the mainland - to Victoria's Wilson's Prom specifically - as an insurance policy.

Emergency services have resumed searching for an elderly man feared drowned by flood waters as torrential downpours and strong winds battered the NSW coast, with Sydney soaked by more than half the month's average rainfall in less than 24 hours.

One man is missing as torrential rain and flash flooding hit the NSW coast on Wednesday night, when more than a month's worth of rain was expected to hit Sydney in 12 hours.

While it's doubtful how effective he would be in actual combat, a king penguin has been made a Brigadier by the King of Norway.

Sydney should lap up Tuesday's relatively sunny weather as a deepening low-pressure system brings the prospect of a wet end to the working week.

Rain and a cold front on the way.

It's not quite The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, but the results of a study comparing the sharpness and durability of different shark teeth sawing through prey were almost as scary.

Owners want justice for dog attack that killed their poodle and injured dog walker.

The wombat may be a muddle-headed marsupial in the realm of children's literature but in real life they are anything but, a Canberra wildlife carer says.

After basking in the relative warmth of the past week, Canberrans were brought back to wintry reality as a cold front passed over on Friday and Saturday.

Are Canberrans playing finders keepers with lost pets?

In photos, 12-year-old Aryanna Gourdin is pictured posing with dead wild animals – an impala, a giraffe, a zebra – she hunted and killed on a recent trip to South Africa.

• EXCLUSIVE

Wombats have a reputation for being cute and cuddly but a woman mauled by one in Canberra's south has warned others to stay away from the marsupials.

With two maimed front legs the American black bear manages to get around on his hind legs. His unusual condition has spawned coveted sightings and viral videos.

Meet the woman who blew the whistle on Australia's live export trade.

Scientist David Fernandez peered at the odd-looking critter,and hoped it was the real thing. He'd never seen one of these animals in its entirety before. No scientist ever had.

Shifting to a low-carbon energy future while maintaining competition and reliability will be a challenge for the new minister.

The video shows a black bear rummaging around a trash bin in the Canadian woods, where an American bow hunter was waiting, armed with a spear - custom-made and outfitted with a camera to capture the kill.

Fledgling little eagle's flight convinces ecologist Jerry Olsen the ACT is losing a vulnerable species.

Sydney will continue to bask in unseasonably warm weather for a couple more days yet.

A new study shows that microbeads are transferring toxic chemicals into fish that could be ending up on our plates.