Why the Dolphin Smiles

Earlier this month on a visit to Hong Kong over an assignment, I took a trip with WWF to the fishing village of Tai O. While the trip yielded my first dolphin sightings in the wild (the Chinese White Dolphin, a race of the Indo-Pacific Humpbacked Dolphin, for which the Pearl River Delta in Hong Kong is one of the last remaining strongholds); a very special moment for me, I also happened to witness a rather jolting sight- that of a dead infant.

Infant mortality for dolphins has been on the rise in the Pearl Delta, because of the rising level of pollutants in the water, that go on to accumulate in and contaminate the milk of dolphins nursing their pups. Seeing that smiling face on a dead body has been one of the most disturbing moments for me in nature. Being one of the world's busiest ports, Hong Kong's polluted waters are already largely devoid of natural marine resources, posing a critical threat to the population of Chinese White Dolphins. 

The situation for Indo-pacific Humpbacks in India is not any better, with boat traffic, pollution, over-fishing, and noise threatening their existence. The comic appears in my column with Mid-Day today. This one's for you, baby dolphin.

Wildlife Along Indian Rivers

It's World River Day tomorrow. Indian rivers aren't ours alone to exploit and manipulate. Scores of endangered animals depend on them, and are at stake if ill-conceived projects like river-linking are undertaken. Find out which species are associated with Indian rivers in this series of illustrations.

The series first appeared on Nature in Focus. Prints of the compilation can be purchased on my webstore here. 

For orders within India, you can mail me on rohanchakcartoonist@gmail.com. The prices are listed below-

A0 size (841 x 1189 mm, matte)- Rs. 3500 for the first print, 3000 for the second print onwards.

A0 size (841 x 1189 mm, canvas)- Rs. 5000 for the first print, 4500 for the second print onwards.

A1 size (594 x 841 mm, matte)- Rs. 3000 for the first print, 2500 for the second print onwards.

A1 size (594 x 841 mm, canvas)- Rs. 4500 for the first print, 4000 for the second print onwards.

(Note that these are minimal representations, and do not enumerate all animals inhabiting the respective river basins. For a more detailed wildlife map, visit http://www.greenhumour.com/2015/10/the-wildlife-map-of-india.html)

Germany's first wild bison shot dead

A European Bison that had entered the German border was shot dead by authorities. The animal is believed to be the first wild bison to have roamed Germany in 250 years! WWF in Germany will be filing a lawsuit against the official who passed the order to shoot the beast.

The House Shrew

Learn more about the House Shrew or the Grey Musk Shrew with this brand new poster! The comic appears in my column with Saevus magazine this month. Prints on my webstore here.

(E-mail me for prints within India on rohanchakcartoonist@gmail.com)

If World Leaders were Bonobos

Bonobos are our closest relatives in evolution (along with chimpanzees). One of the most promiscuous animals on the planet, bonobos use sexual activity for every purpose- from greeting friends to resolving conflicts with rivals. Bonobo sexual interactions are rarely discriminative of age or gender. No wonder they're the among the most peaceful creatures on the planet!

Bonobos are endangered because of habitat loss and hunting for bushmeat. The comic appears in my column with Mid-Day today.

The Great Indian Nature Trail with Uncle Bikky

Launching a brand new series of comics- The Great Indian Nature Trail with Uncle Bikky, on WWF's new digital education platform, One Planet Academy! The comics follow the adventures of an ornithologist Uncle Bikky, his wildlife photographer niece Chunmun, and their pet dog Duggu. The characters are inspired by my close friends Bikram Grewal, Munmun Dhalaria and Doginder Singh (who are real-life ornithologist, film-maker and dog respectively!).

In each of the stories, the trio heads to a new place in India, and has thrilling encounters with wild animals. Every comic also comes with a quiz, which can earn you points if answered correctly! Log in to http://academy.wwfindia.org/ to read the month's comic, and follow the series to find out whether Uncle Bikky succeeds in finding the Himalayan Quail or not!

Wild Atlas- Interactive Map Game for WWF

Presenting 'Wild Atlas'- an interactive web game I designed for WWF India's new education portal, One Planet Academy (http://academy.wwfindia.org/). The game is divided into 6 themes- Mammals, Birds, Amphibians, Reptiles, Invertebrates and Places (sanctuaries). When a player clicks on a theme to start the game, 15 icons appear on the sides of the screen, which are to be dragged and dropped on the blank spots on the map, based on clues provided.

The game not only presents India's biodiversity in full glory, but also enables the player to familiarize virtually with the distributions and ranges of fauna in India. Visit http://academy.wwfindia.org/ to register and play!

A big thanks to WWF's Education team under Ms. Radhika Suri for choosing to work with me, to Studio Ek Saath for programming the game, and to my friends who helped me generously with information for the game- Zeeshan Mirza, Shaleen Attre, Gururaja KV and Abhishek Gulshan.

Celebes Macaque

The buttocks of the female Celebes Crested Macaque undergo 'tumescence' or extreme swelling, to indicate sexual receptivity. Celebes Macaques are critically endangered, with a majority of their population inhabiting Tangkoko Reserve in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. 

From my column with Bl-ink.

Kaas Plateau

Kaas is blooming! Drop everything and go witness this annual phenomenon!

From my column with Mid Day today.

Cow Sanctuaries on Forest Land

A new proposal has been put forth for consideration by the MoEFCC which recommends the setting up of cow sanctuaries in forest land. One on 'cow politics' from my column with Mid Day today.

Black faced Spoonbill

Did you know that the Black-faced Spoonbill of China is endangered? Every winter, a quarter of its population visits the Mai Po wetlands of Hong Kong.

I too am travelling to Hong Kong tonight over a new assignment! Although it may be a bit early for winter migrants, I'm still hoping to see a few spoonbills, and finally learn to use chopsticks correctly! More updates soon.

Blue Whales and the Blue Whale Challenge

Say no to the challenge, say yes to Blue Whales!