A cartoon for bats

I did a special page on bats for Saevus magazine's previous issue, of which this cartoon was a part. Bats see the world just the way it actually is- upside down! Here's my final post for the year, see you all in 2014.

Oil Minister to be Environment Minister?

I had sworn never to draw on politics, but the country I live in is way too funny to not do so. Anyway, here's the big cats' take on the recent piece of bizarre news that has rocked environmentalists and conservationists from India. Please read more about this here and sign the petition while you're at it!

An Oxpecker Christmas

Oxpeckers are birds from the family Buphagidae, that feed on the backs of large animals, residing in the African. These opportunists are among my favourite birds, and I dream of spending a morning in the savanna with my notebook, scribbling little cartoons about these birds as I watch them go about their business. 

A merry Christmas to all! 

New Species of the Amazon

About 440 new species have been described from the Amazon in the last three years, the recent ones being the Olinguito and the Kabomani Tapir. This tapir is the world's smallest tapir, and the fifth species of tapir in the world (the first to be described since 1865). As logging continues unabated and mining degrades the rainforest, the future of these species only grows more and more uncertain.

Bird Caricatures- some commoners

Here are some of the bird caricatures I've been working on, some of my favourite species among the backyard birds of Central India, where I live.

A handsome looking garden bird with a metallic 'tchee tchee tchee' call, it is a pleasure to watch the antics of the Ashy Prinia. Its activity suddenly increases during the monsoons when it breeds and nests. I have had the pleasure of hosting one prinia right in my house, and observed its nest. The nest is stitched into the inner surface of a sturdy leaf, water-proofed by extremely skillful and intricate weaving and 3-5 glossy eggs are laid. 

The Grey Wagtail breeds in the Himalayas in Summer and spreads across the peninsula during the winters. It arrives in huge flocks, and one such flock frequently stops by at my terrace, filling the air with its 'tleep tleep' song. It is probably the species with which I have spent the most amount of time this winter!

An absolute tyrant and brat, both by its looks and its habits. And for the same reasons, a bird I have truly grown to respect!

This species is a rather shy and timid dweller of the undergrowth. It feeds like a thrush close to the ground, turning over leaves and vegetation searching for slugs and insects. Birders identify its presence from its 'I'll-beat-you' call.

The Yellow-footed Green Pigeon is the state bird of Maharashtra, where I live. My hometown is one of the places where a flock of these splendid grey-green pigeons flying from one fruit tree to another is a very common sight.

The caricatures are available as A3 posters, which you can order by e-mailing me on rohanchakcartoonist@gmail.com.

Gold Mining in Costa Rica's Rainforests

Costa Rica's rainforests are believed to have the highest biodiversity for any country! This is probably because of the fact that the landmass that is now Costa Rica and Panama served as a bridge between North and South America three to five million years ago, allowing the different flora and fauna to intermingle. Costa Rica's biodiversity makes for nearly 4% of all the species found in the world!

Infinito Gold, a Canadian gold mining company has slapped Costa Rica with a $1 billion lawsuit because the country denied them the rights to start an open pit mine in the rainforest. Several predictions have been made about the toxicity of the mining activity and its impact on the health of the rainforest. An online petition has also been started against the lawsuit here- http://action.sumofus.org/a/mining-costarica/8/2/?sub=fb We've already seen the tremendous damage done to the Amazon by gold mining, and the rainforests of Costa Rica must not fall prey at any cost!

Bald Eagles and Wind Turbines

The US Department of the Interior has sanctioned wind farms to allow accidental deaths of Bald and Golden Eagles for about 30 years. This is ironic coming from a country and culture of which the Bald Eagle itself is a representative. The majestic bird has already suffered for decades owing to pesticides and habitat loss, and populations have struggled to reach healthy numbers. While there is no doubt about renewable energy being the need of the hour, the safety of the state's avifauna is also an issue that cannot be ignored. The Audubon Society is campaigning against these permits and have also launched an e-petition. Read more here- http://policy.audubon.org/wind-power-0

Animal spines!

I'm really sorry for being so inactive lately; I've been diagnosed with a hairline crack in my sacral vertebra and have been prescribed bed rest, physiotherapy and a whole bunch of medicines for one month. Please forgive the inaction; it is likely to continue until the end of the year. But until then I thought I'd leave you all with an apt comic. A3 posters for this comic are available as prints. Email me to order yours.

Meanwhile, Green Humour has made its debut on the world comics website Gocomics! Visit http://www.gocomics.com/green-humour to read my cartoons.