RIP, Lonesome George

Lonesome George, the sole survivor of the extinct Chelonoidis nigra abingdoni , a sub-species of the Galapagos Giant Tortoise native to Ecuador's Pinta Island; died in captivity on 24th June 2012, thus wiping out his entire race. This sub-species was hunted rampantly by natives for meat, and conservation efforts were made too late. It seems that the 'prevention-better-than-cure' idea is quite difficult for us to learn.

This work by Rohan Chakravarty is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Umbrella Species

In conservation, the term 'Umbrella species' refers to a species that is chosen to plan conservation-related decisions, as the protection of this species indirectly leads to the protection of many other lesser species that share its habitat. Examples other than the tiger include the Northern Spotted Owls and the endangered Bay Checkerspot Butterfly.

This work by Rohan Chakravarty is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Dating a Naturalist

The compilation is available as A3 size posters. You can buy the prints from my online store here.

BTW, if you are a naturalist and haven't tried the 'Flehmen Response' act on your girlfriend/ wife yet, try it now! That could well be the last time you meet her, but trust me, it's worth it!

This work by Rohan Chakravarty is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

My interview on Wild Navigator

http://www.wildnavigator.com/2012/06/a-cartoonist-draws-wildlife-conservation-meet-rohan-chakravarty/
Mr. Abhishek Behl of Wild Navigator interviewed me a week ago about Green Humour. Follow the link to read the interview :-)

Thanks Abhishek!

What flew into the Woodpecker's nest?

I often wonder what it would be like if all the members of a Woodpecker's family wanted to enter or leave the house at the same time!

Most woodpecker species nest in cavities in tree trunks, that they carve out using their strong, chisel-tipped bills, although some desert species are known to nest in holes carved in cactuses or dug on the ground. The woodpecker excavates one hole every breeding season, usually after multiple attempts. Last year I had the pleasure of observing a pair of Lesser Flamebacks at a nest, raising the chicks; alongwith my brother at Seminary Hills in our hometown, Nagpur. This species like several other woodpeckers, is monogamous, with both parents participating in nest-building and caring for the young. We observed the parents taking turns to feed the chicks, chasing potential predators and nest raiders like the mynas, and even teaching the young to fly.

Abandoned cavities created by woodpeckers are used by several otgher species to breed, such as parakeets, owlets, starlings and mynas. In Central India, the Common Myna is a blatant nest-bully, that makes continual attempts  harrass woodpeckers out of their nests and occupy the cavity.

This work by Rohan Chakravarty is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Got featured in 'A Passarinhóloga'

Brazilian ornithologist Natalia Allenspach wrote about me in her lovely blog. Sweet lady :)

Green Humour has a considerable number of readers from the land of the Amazon Basin in spite of the language barrier, which is wonderful to know.
Thank you, Natalia!

Read the feature on
http://apassarinhologa.blogspot.com.br/2012/06/green-humor-of-rohan-chakravarty.html

Happy World Environment Day!

Well, what better models to endorse green design than animals themselves?

There are so many benefits of investing in green energy that a blog post may not ne sufficient to describe. Not only is it limited to cutting carbon emmissions, but extends to creating healthier environments and living conditions, contributing tremendously towards cost reduction and even creating new job opportunities. As the focus on green energy is increasing among the world's leading corporates, more and more companies anre beginning to invest in these reliable, resilient and inexhaustible alternatives.

This year's Environment Day theme is 'Green Economy: Does it include you?' Read more about it on http://www.unep.org/wed/theme/

This work by Rohan Chakravarty is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.