Blowpipes were traditionally the primary hunting weapon among the Orang Asli people in Peninsular Malaysia. Few sub-tribes still use them regularly nowadays, such as the Jahai and Bateq. But for most others, blowpipes are merely a relic of the past. Often, they are still used for ceremonial purposes or as a ‘Stone Age’ activity for schoolchildren. Other traditional hunting weapons used by hunter-gatherer societies, such as bows and arrows or lances, never achieved the same level of popularity as blowpipes. The information presented in this article is based on my various encounters with knowledgeable Jahai, Semai, Temiar, and Semelai people.…

At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, many draught animals were released in the wild in Western Australia, as motor vehicles took over their work. These included donkeys and camels. Both species flourished thereafter in the wild and formed huge herds, to the detriment of many farmers. Most of these animals were culled within the last decades through eradication programs. However, when we visited the Kimberley region of Western Australia at the end of 2024, we still came across two herds of feral donkeys. Following their trails would have helped us find water in a…