Mongabay Environmental News • 7th May 2026

A community leads protection of the pangolin in a critical illegal trade corridor

In Nagaland’s Kiphire district, along the porous Indo-Myanmar border, pangolins have been hunted for decades — once due to cultural beliefs, and increasingly for trade, in a region identified as a key wildlife trafficking route.

“Our forefathers would say that if a pangolin enters a house, it was considered a bad omen or curse,” says L. Kipitong Sangtam, 61, a resident of Amahator village in Kiphire district. “In the past, if someone encountered a pangolin, they would try to catch and kill it,...

The Hindu • 30th April 2026

This artisanal cheese brand from Dibrugarh is fusing Assam’s iconic chili bhoot jolokia with creamy cheddar

The quaint city on the banks of the Brahmaputra river, Dibrugarh in Assam, is home to some of the oldest and largest tea estates in the country. Now, it is also in the news for experiments with cheese.Queso, the State’s first artisanal small-batch cheese brand, blends European tradition with Assamese flavours. Its bestseller is the Bhoot Jolokia Cheddar, a daring fusion of Assam’s iconic chili with creamy cheddar; the bhoot jolokia adds heat to the tangy and nutty cheddar. Another crowd-favorite...

EastMojo • 30th April 2026

Darjeeling conservationist Barkha Subba wins Whitley Award 2026

With wetlands shrinking and land use shifting across Darjeeling’s tea-dominated landscape, the survival of the rare Himalayan salamander is becoming increasingly uncertain.Recognising both the urgency of this threat and the promise of community-led solutions, the Whitley Awards 2026 have honoured conservationist Barkha Subba for her efforts to scale up protection of the species and its fragile habitat.Barkha, a Scientific Adviser at the Federation of Societies for Environmental Protection (FOSEP...

29th April 2026

This Fish Glows By Stealing Light From Its Prey – Asian Scientist Magazine

AsianScientist (Apr. 29, 2026)– In the natural world, animals usually rely on their own genes to produce the traits they need to survive. These genes act like instruction manuals, telling the body how to make important molecules, including proteins that perform specific functions.
Researchers from Tohoku University in Japan have now found an exception: the golden sweeper (Parapriacanthus ransonneti), a schooling reef fish. They discovered that the fish can glow in the dark, not by making its own...

13th April 2026

That Fresh-Cut Grass Smell? It’s a Plant’s Distress Call – Asian Scientist Magazine

AsianScientist (Apr. 13, 2026)–That fresh, sharp scent released when grass is cut is often associated with calm and nostalgia, but beneath this sensory experience lies a sophisticated biological signal. These compounds, known as green leaf volatiles (GLVs), are released by plants within seconds of being wounded, attacked by herbivores, or exposed to environmental stress.
GLVs are active participants in plant defense. They suppress pathogens, warn neighbouring plants to prepare for attack, and at...

24th March 2026

How Fukushima’s Abandoned Pigs Reshaped Wild Boar Genetics – Asian Scientist Magazine

AsianScientist (Mar. 24, 2026)–When the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident forced residents to evacuate in 2011, abandoned farmland and forests became an unexpected ecological laboratory. Domestic pigs left behind on farms escaped into the wild, where they encountered and interbred with native wild boar.
Hybridization between domestic animals and wildlife is a growing concern worldwide, particularly as feral pigs and wild boar increasingly overlap. Such hybridization has often been l...

18th March 2026

Gut Bacteria Linked to Migraine Severity in Children, Study Finds – Asian Scientist Magazine

AsianScientist (Mar. 18, 2026) – Differences in gut bacteria may influence how often children experience migraines and how severe their headaches become, according to a new study. Researchers found that children with migraines had lower levels of certain beneficial microbes in their gut, and early tests suggest that restoring these bacteria could help reduce headache frequency and intensity.
For many children, migraine is more than just a headache. The recurring pain can disrupt school, limit da...

Mongabay Environmental News • 25th February 2026

What wild poop can teach children about ecology [Book review]

For human beings, the topic of excreta is considered a subject of disgust and embarrassment. The Big Book of Wild Poop, written by Shweta Taneja, sets out to change the narrative of how humans, children in particular, view poop. In the animal world, excreta is not waste but information, food, camouflage and defence, the book says. For a dung beetle or a worm, it is a source of multivitamins. Some spiders disguise themselves with it to escape predators, while hoopoe mothers use it to protect thei...

21st January 2026

The Chemistry Behind Civet Coffee’s Distinctive Flavour – Asian Scientist Magazine

AsianScientist (Jan. 18, 2026) – Civet coffee, better known as kopi luwak, is a premium and highly-priced coffees globally, known for its unique aroma, taste, and nutritional value.
The beans, which can sell for as much as USD 1,000 per kilogram, are harvested from the faecal matter of civets — usually Asian palm civets (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus)  — which eat ripe coffee berries and digest the pulp whilst the beans inside pass through the digestive system.
Although this type of coffee has been...

28th December 2025

Rising Pollution Moves Rainfall From Land To Sea In Southeast Asia – Asian Scientist Magazine

AsianScientist (Dec. 24, 2025) – Rising pollution levels are pushing storms away from land and intensifying rainfall over the ocean in Southeast Asia.
Biomass burning, urban pollution, and industrial emissions produce tiny particles called aerosols that can dramatically alter rainfall, cloud formation, and atmospheric stability. Now, a new study conducted by researchers of Pusan National University, Korea, has revealed that aerosols profoundly impact rainfall patterns over the Maritime Continent...

Tripoto • 27th October 2018

Mushrooms from the Sacred Forest

11th October 2018

The Fossil Business

By telling us your country of residence we are able to provide you with the most relevant travel insurance information.

Please note that not all content is translated or available to residents of all countries. Contact us for full details.