Social Networking the Tiger Way

Here's a peek at the secret social life of the otherwise solitary tiger, and the various tweets, shares, likes and pokes it uses to locate buddies, chicks and foes. Happy World Tiger Day!

Available as A3/ A4 prints. E-mail me to order your copies.

One Advantage of Being Endangered

The Amur Leopard of Russia is one of the world's most endangered animals, with only around 26 animals extant in the wild. Poaching for its fur, habitat loss and inbreeding are considered the chief conservation threats and if intensive conservation measures are not implied, we are sure to lose this majestic animal out to extinction in no time. Well, here's a look at the brighter side of being such a rare animal!

A Bad Day in the Life of a Sidewinder

The Sidewinder, a rattlesnake of the genus Crolatus found in south-western USA and northern Mexico, gets its name from its unusual way of locomotion- rapid sideways movements that are believed to yield traction on the windblown desert sand. A similar manner of locomotion is adopted by the Horned and the Sidewinding Adders of Africa. As the bodies of these snakes progress over the sand, they leave behind J-shaped trails characteristic of sidewinders.

16th July is celebrated as World Snake Day! This cartoon appears in the July '14 issue of Saevus magazine.

The Tiger's Consent

A cartoon about environmental 'clearances' for 'development' from my column in The Hindu BLink's weekend edition.

The Best Pick-up Line for a Frog

Frogs, alert! Want some action this monsoon? Here's the shortest and sweetest pick-up line that's bound to work! Oh, and if you're hitting on a herpetologist, it might still work.

For the non-biology types, amplexus is the term referring to the mating position of frogs in which the male grasps the female with his forelimbs to fertilize her eggs with the fluid that contains his sperm. Let's hope there's ample monsoon love for the endangered amphibians this season!

Pufferfish on Facebook

The pufferfish's unique defense mechanism compensates for its slow speed. When cornered, it fills its elastic stomach with water and inflates itself into a spiny balloon, appearing dangerous and unpalatable to its predator. It is also the second most poisonous vertebrate on earth! Members of the family Tetraodontidae also include balloonfish, blowfish, bubblefish, globefish, swellfish and toadfish. The family name refers to four large teeth the animals are equipped with to crush the shells of their natural prey- crustaceans an mollusks.

This one is for all my Candy Crush playing Facebook-friends!

Trophy Hunting Explained in One Simple Cartoon

In an age when every wild animal needs some sort of conservation aid or the other, every once in a while a trophy hunter makes waves on the internet, claiming to 'support conservation'. Recently, a 'blond' Texan cheerleader has been 'doing her part' by killing lions and leopards and advertising on her social media profiles. Not surprisingly, hunting groups are playing cheerleader to her 'efforts'. Her hunting pictures have sparked a row, making her a subject of two online petitions.

Here's a cartoon that explains what trophy hunting actually is in my view. While there is a growing awareness about poaching among the masses, trophy hunting still goes on unabated. All rhino species are battling it out every day in the wild today, and every single individual counts. It is beyond my comprehension how the authorities can afford to 'sacrifice' a rhino 'for the sake of conservation'.

Endangered Floricans

Floricans are beautiful, large and highly terrestrial birds in the bustard family, famous for their elaborate courtship display which involves making high jumps in the air to attract a mate. India has both species of florican- the Lesser Florican and the Bengal Florican, both of which are facing grave conservation threats from habitat loss, conversion of their grassland habitats into cultivation, and hunting for meat (that is still prevalent in South-east Asia for the Bengal Florican and extirpated the Lesser Florican from Pakistan). While the Lesser Florican is listed as Endangered on IUCN's Red List, the Bengal Florican is Critically Endangered, with just around 500 individuals alive.

Here are the caricatures of these two majestic birds-

The male Bengal Florican lacks the elongated plumes of the Lesser Florican, instead sporting a crest and neck plumes. The female is dull brown. 

The male Lesser Florican is distinguished by his elongated plumes and white throat, while the female is dull brown. 

Floricans are among the rarest birds in India, with their habitats severely fragmented, and among the most high-priority species from a conservation perspective.

The caricatures are available as prints that can be ordered by mailing me.