The Flehmen Response

Monsoon is when tigers breed. As you read this comic, tigers in India  are sniffing the air for  prospective mates, looking like complete loons!

A treepie and a tiger discuss the Flehmen Response (the name is derived from the German word 'flemmen', which means to bare the upper teeth), in my column with Mid Day today.

My Heart is Tiger Territory

Is your heart tiger territory? Order prints, tees and merchandise from my webstore here.

Happy World Tiger Day! (For orders within India, mail me on rohanchakcartoonist@gmail.com)

Kingfisher Cartoons for Arastirmaci Cocuk

In my space with the Turkish kids' magazine Arastirmaci Cocuk this month, I speak about kingfishers! Here are five cartoons on kingfishers done for the section, depicting the Pied Kingfisher (my favourite kingfisher), the White-breasted Kingfisher, the Laughing Kookaburra, the Dwarf Kingfisher and the Common Kingfisher. The cartoons originally appear in Turkish in the magazine.

Kaziranga Floods

On the floods in Kaziranga from my column with Mid-Day today. A big thanks to all the heroes from the Forest Department and the various NGOs in Assam, working to ease the conflict between people and stranded animals.

The Small Blue Kingfisher Hunts

In my space with the Turkish children's magazine, Arastirmaci Cocuk, we speak about kingfishers this month! Here's a comic on the hunting technique of the Small Blue or Common Kingfisher, one of Turkey's (and India's) most popular kingfisher species. The comic appears originally in Turkish, translated by my designer and editor Ayse Dincer.

Corals in Cartoons

A cartoon introduction to coral reefs done for Nature in Focus' Coral Awareness Week. The cartoons appear as a photo story on Nature in Focus here. 

Prints available on my webstore.

David Slater and the Celebes Macaque

In 2011, wildlife photographer David Slater planned and executed his now famous (and controversial) photograph, the 'Monkey Selfie'. A little known species then, the critically endangered Celebes Crested Macaque, found in Tangkoko Nature Reserve in Sulawesi, Indonesia, shot to fame. If anything, it was his picture that helped raise awareness about these macaques. 

Ever since publishing his images of the macaque, Slater has been in legal turmoil, with PETA having sued him over copyrights, which they absurdly claim, belong to the monkey! This nonsensical lawsuit has not only left Slater bankrupt, but has also taken focus away from the real conservation threats that the macaque faces- hunting for bushmeat and logging of its habitat.

As artists and photographers working towards the conservation of wildlife, I believe that we must stand in support of a fellow-artist, and call to end this harassment and instead focus on fighting the right fight. Let's stand with David Slater.

BP and the Amazon Reef

Coral Awareness Week begins tomorrow. Here's a comic on the Amazon Reef from my column with Mid-Day today. Clearly, we haven't learned from the Great Barrier Reef debacle, have we?

Gigantic Iceberg breaks off from Antarctica

Antarctica lost a trillion tonne chunk of ice from the Larsen C ice shelf this week. While scientists are not certain that climate change is the prime culprit, this may just be the tip of the iceberg! News here.

Sri Lanka bans bottom trawling

On Sri Lanka's welcome ban on bottom trawling, which has invoked harsh and undue criticism from India. Read more here.

Meet the Indian Pitta

A comic on the bird of the season, the Indian Pitta from my column with Mid Day today.

Nanhi the Indian Giant Squirrel- Mascot for Satpura Tiger Reserve

Meet Nanhi the Indian Giant Squirrel, the official mascot for Satpura Tiger Reserve. Nanhi here, is seen endorsing a butterfly-watching event being hosted by the park from the 8th to the 10th of September 2017. (Registrations here).

The Satpuras, a biogeographical marvel, are a connecting link between the Western Ghats and the eastern Himalayas, and host a splendid array of wildlife unique to Central India. With a stunning diversity of butterflies (and also frogs and birds), this event is sure to pack a punch!

A big thanks to Mr. Anil Nagar, Field Director of the reserve, and the forest department of Madhya Pradesh for commissioning me for the mascot.

Heart Spotted Woodpeckers

The Heart-spotted Woodpecker is a small woodpecker found in the Western Ghats of India and in South-east Asia, and is simply adorable to look at! They are called so because of the heart-shaped spots on their wings. Here's a pair of 'Hearties', available as prints and merchandise on my webstore here.

Orders within India (t-shirts, mugs and posters) can be placed by mailing me on rohanchakcartoonist@gmail.com.

Poaching of Monitor Lizards

Monitor lizards are poached rampantly in India, for everything from meat, to body fat, to genitals! A recent raid by WTI led by my friend Jose Louis revealed that even online retailers like Amazon peddle monitor lizard penises, sold as a religious artefact called 'Hatha Jodi'! The raid resulted in a mass seizure of this contraband, and led to Amazon pulling the item off their website.

The comic appears in my column with Mid-Day today.