Tuesday 31 July 2018

Where's Gaju's Herd

















'Where's Gaju's Herd?' a wordless colouring-cum-comic book I created for the Wildlife Trust of India's Gaj Yatra campaign on elephant conservation and awareness, will be a part of a display commencing tomorrow (1st August, 2018) at the Mandi House Metro Station in New Delhi. The 16 page book tells the story of an elephant calf Gaju who loses track of his herd and encounters several threats that elephants in India face, as he tries to find his way back to his family.  Artwork from the book will be on display at the metro station throughout the month of August.

Thanks to the WTI team and Ms. Rupa Gandhi for commissioning me for the project!

Monday 30 July 2018

Hedgehogs of the World


Meet the hedgehogs of the world in this brand new poster! Distributed across Europe, Africa and Asia (with the European Hedgehog also introduced to New Zealand), hedgehogs are 16 species of spiny mammals in the family Erinaceidae. The poster illustrates each of these species with their distributions, and first appeared in the Turkish kids' magazine Artastirmaci Cocuk merkezi.

Hedgehog prints and merchandise are available on my webstore here. For orders within India, write to me on rohanchakcartoonist@gmail.com. The range of products for Indian orders is as follows-
A0 Posters (Matte surface, loose)- Rs. 3500 for the first print, 3000 for the second print onwards
A1 Posters (Matte surface, loose)- Rs. 3000 for the first print, 2500 for the second print onwards
A2 Posters (Matte surface, loose)- Rs. 1200 each
Mounted Posters (A3- Individual species and compilation)- Rs. 2000
Loose Posters (A3- Individual species and compilation)- Rs. 500 for the first copy and Rs. 200 for the second copy onwards
Fridge Magnets (65 x 65 mm, Printed in sets of 4)- Any 4 hedgehog caricatures for Rs. 1200
Coasters (3.5" x 3.5", Printed in sets of 6)- Any 6 hedgehog caricatures for Rs. 800
Coffee Mug (Compilation)- Rs. 850

Sunday 29 July 2018

Friday 27 July 2018

Dirty Harrier


Harriers are migratory grassland raptors that specialize in hunting in grasslands, moors and swamps. As many of their prey items include agricultural pests such as rodents and locusts, they provide immense service to agriculture. The use of pesticides and the loss of grassland habitats is causing a decline in their numbers today.

The cartoon appears on my Gocomics page. Here's one for the fans of harriers and Clint Eastwood!

Wednesday 25 July 2018

Monday 23 July 2018

Threats to the Great Indian Bustard


The Great Indian Bustard is known in India by vernacular names like 'Godawan' in Rajasthan, and 'Hoom' in Maharashtra, after its booming breeding call. Here's a comic about the conservation threats that this critically endangered bird faces, from my column with Sunday Mid-Day.

Sunday 22 July 2018

Sarawak Specialties


Sarawak- home to some of the best cuisine, the most pristine rainforests, the most beautiful tribes, and the most astonishing wildlife in the world! I recently visited Bako National Park in Kuching, the capital of Sarawak, home to the Proboscis Monkey and the Rhinoceros Hornbill (missed seeing the latter). Here's wishing Sarawak a happy Independence Day!


Saturday 21 July 2018

The Magnolia and the Molinillo


I recently had the opportunity to speak at the ATBC 2018 held in Kuching, where I met and interacted with biologists from around the world. One of them whose work really caught my attention was Ms. Melisa Ayala Joya from Colombia. Currently an Erasmus fellow pursuing her Masters, Melisa, a botanist, has worked extensively with local communities in Colombia on issues like land restoration and management of soil erosion. The research paper that she presented at the ATBC described one such exemplary initiative. 

Magnolia resupinatifolia is a critically endangered species of Magnolia endemic to Colombia, and has recently been described by Melisa and her team to science. Locals have been using the fruit of this species to make the 'Molinillo'- a kitchen tool used to stir hot chocolate. This comic, based on Melisa's campaign, speaks about this relationship between the people and the tree, and how the community is helping disperse and save the species from extinction, while reaping a few benefits from it for themselves. This mutually beneficial model if analyzed and planned, can very well be applied around the world!

The comic appears on my Gocomics page today. A big thanks to the lovely Melisa for collaborating me on this, and for guiding me through the comic. Thanks also to Zoraida Calle of the CIPAV Ecological Restoration Group for her comments and review. We've also created a Spanish version of the comic, translated by Zoraida and Melisa- my first comic in Spanish!


Sunday 15 July 2018

Life Lessons from Various Snakes

It's World Snake Day tomorrow. Here are some life lessons that all of us can adopt, from various snakes from around the world. The comic appears in my column with Sunday Mid-day.

Prints of the comic are available on my webstore here. For orders within India, write to me on rohanchakcartoonist@gmail.com.

Thursday 12 July 2018

Ask me anything Instagram


Jumping on the bandwagon (well, not me, but this tiger!). 

Like the comic? Prints available here.  (Write to me on rohanchakcartoonist@gmail.com for orders within India).

Monday 9 July 2018

Broadbills of Borneo


Broadbills are some of the most outlandishly beautiful birds of the tropics! I recently had the pleasure of meeting the ridiculously pretty Banded Broadbill at Kubah National Park (Sarawak, Borneo), and was simply bowled over!

Prints of the comic available on my webstore here.

Sunday 8 July 2018

Asiatic Lions in Gujarat

The story of Asiatic Lions in Gujarat began as one of the greatest conservation success stories in the world, when a tiny population on the brink of extinction revived and started to flourish. But  now, the pride of Gujarat faces several new threats.

From my column with Mid-day today.