During guided outings in a small motorboat along a Malaysian river, we would also see purple herons, endangered storks, and — a highlight of the trip — an orangutan.

"His friend witnessed the crocodile resurface, maul the victim's body and drag it into the current," police said.

As dawn breaks over a village in suburban Beijing, 75-year-old Hao Lanying sits at her desk, scissors in hand, cutting red paper into the shape of a snake winding around a bird. The design is part of ...