The first rains

Monsoons are generally not considered a birding season, but in India, it does fill birders with much anticipation and excitement. The arrival of the Pied Cuckoo in India coincides with that of the monsoon winds and hence it is revered as the harbinger of rains. A birdwatcher's delight, this bird is an absolute thrill to track in the monsoons. It is a brood parasite that nests around this time of the year, parasitizing the nests of babblers. Pairs can often be seen courting each other, whistling a loud but melodious "peeu-peeu". Hairy caterpillars are the Pied Cuckoo's favourite food, and it is quite a sight to watch the bird tackle one, so I've drawn a caricature of the Pied Cuckoo with its breakfast-

The comic appeared in The Hindu Business Line this weekend and is available as an A3/A4 print, and so is the caricature. Mail me at rohanchakcartoonist@gmail.com to book your prints or purchase your prints online here.

Also have a look at Migrant Watch's Pied Cuckoo Campaign that attempts to engage birdwatchers to study the migration patterns of the Pied Cuckoo.

Satao the Tusker

A cartoonist's homage to Satao the tusker, who was shot with a poisoned arrow by poachers for his tusks, that were so large that they almost touched the ground. Because of his size, Satao was an icon and a favourite among conservationists and wildlife lovers, and his death was mourned across the world. Satao lived in the Tsavo East National Park in Kenya and was estimated to be one of the largest elephants in the world. He was declared dead on 13th June, 2014.

In the name of development

I normally hate drawing politicians because they take all the aesthetics away from a cartoon (and a landscape), but this one just had to be done. The new Indian government has been cracking down on environmental NGOs for stalling economic development. Read Sanctuary Asia's Editor Bittu Sahgal's wonderful write-up about the issue here. 

A Caricatured Map of Pakke Tiger Reserve

In the first of what I plan to continue as a series, here is a detailed, caricatured, peppy and fun map of Pakke Tiger Reserve, a gorgeous landscape located in the East Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh (North-east India). The map features 50 of my wildlife caricatures (see here) along with illustrations depicting the forest staff and indigenous people that live around the reserve, their lives and lifestyles, and their relationship with the forest. The region has two main tribes- the Nyishi and the Hruso (Aka) that have extremely rich and vivid cultures, lifestyles and heritage interwoven with the various elements of the hill forest habitat that they inhabit (I have earlier illustrated a poster on Nyishi folk tales). The illustrations cover nearly all of the threatened and endangered fauna of Pakke as well as some common animals found there. The threatened/ endangered fauna includes rare and charismatic species like the Great Hornbill (which is the state bird of Arunachal Pradesh), the Rufous-necked Hornbill, the Tiger, the Clouded Leopard, the Assam Roofed Turtle, the Fishing Cat, the Dhole, the Asian Elephant and the Hog Deer among others. The map will be printed as a huge A0 size print to cover a section of the new interpretation centre set up at Tipi, Pakke.

The project was done for the Forest Department of Arunachal Pradesh and the Wildlife Trust of India. Thanks to my friend Nandini Velho, who is a Ph.D student working on understanding community and protected areas in terms of efficacy of mammals and hunted species in the region, for providing all the information and inputs needed to create the map and for coordinating the project. This is my lengthiest and most detailed work till date, and I hope to continue this as a series, covering as many forests and parks from India as I can, and some even from around the world if the opportunity comes by. Here are some close-ups and illustration compilations from the map. Click on the images for a larger view-

Some of the birds on the map are these- The Pallas' Fish Eagle, the River Tern, The Black Eagle, the Wreathed Hornbill, the Lesser Adjutant and the Rufous-necked Hornbill, in clockwise order-

All the animals depicted in the map will be available as individual caricature prints soon! Now meet the folks who live around the reserve-

We also ended up compiling another poster with some of the stars of Pakke, for the interpretation centre-

Fathers' day- The Hornbill Dad

Happy Fathers' Day! Here's one of nature's most overworked yet tireless dads- the male Pied Hornbill. Hornbills nest in crevices in trees in which the female locks herself up by sealing the crevice, only leaving a thin passage open to let her bill through. She then lays her eggs and rears her young within her 'cell', during which both the mother and the offspring depend entirely on the male for resources. This is one dad that doesn't complain about working overtime!

It's hornbill hangover on Green Humour! Prints of the comic are available on my webstore here (for orders within India, e-mail me on rohanchakcartoonist@gmail.com)

The Jaguar and the Armadillo

Well, FIFA's here and so is the first sports comic on Green Humour! The Brazilian Three-banded Armadillo called Fuleco is the official mascot for the FIFA World Cup. This armour equipped mammal curls up into a ball at the sign of danger, making it impenetrable to its predators. Populations of the Three-banded Armadillo are declining rapidly owing to habitat loss, and conservationists hope that the mascot for FIFA will help spread awareness about the creature and aid its conservation.

The Southern Ground Hornbill

The Southern Ground Hornbill of South Africa is a very special bird! First of all, this bird grows to a massive 130 cm making it the largest hornbill in the world. Secondly, it is an extremely social bird, not only foraging in groups but even breeding cooperatively, with the breeding pair being assisted by babysitters! These helpers are actually inexperienced birds who are being trained in the process to raise their own young. Also, southern African cultures revere the Ground Hornbill, associating it with the arrival of monsoons. I'm also told that the hornbill has the most gorgeous eyelashes!

Owing to deforestation and habitat loss, the bird finds itself in the Vulnerable category of IUCN's Red List today. In South Africa where the bird has been best studied, it is listed as critically endangered. What imperils its conservation further is the fact that it is an extremely slow breeder, raising only one chick in three years. Incubation lasts for 45 days, followed by another 85 days of the fledgling being dependent on the parents, which is the longest period of dependency for any bird chick.

Here's a caricature of the Southern Ground Hornbill I did for the Mabula Ground Hornbill Project, that is working for the conservation of this species in South Africa (Facebook page here) I sure hope to meet this handsome giant some day! (PS- check out the eyelashes!)

Penguins and Climate Change- World Environment Day

The theme for World Environment Day this year is "Raise your voices, not the sea levels". Polar animals such as penguins depend critically on sea ice. Species such as the Emperor Penguin (that are well into their nesting season at this time of the year) must depend on large stretches of ice for the survival of their chicks, as they don't make nests; the chicks are carried in a pouch near the feet of the parent. Any sudden disturbance in the sea level would mean not only a loss in nesting areas but also a premature exposure of the young to the cold sea waters. In recent years it has been observed that the thinning of the ice cover in places where the Emperor Penguins nest has been causing fewer Emperors to nest in those sites, leading to a subsequent drop in their populations. As we observe 5th June, let's spare a thought for our polar counterparts that aren't quite having a happy Environment Day.

A Birdwatcher Gets Sued

Here's some birding humour to start your week!