A Tale of Two Hilsa Lovers

Bengal's unending appetite for Hilsa could spell doom not only for the fish itself, but for coastal ecosystems along the Bay of Bengal. The demand escalates exponentially in the festive months, to meet which, unsustainable methods such as bottom trawling are employed, threatening not just fish stocks and marine environments, but also artisanal and sustainable fishing practices. With Durga Pujo around the corner, things are only likely to get worse for Hilsa, as well as predators like sharks that depend on Hilsa and other estuarine fish.

Comic from my column with The Hindu Sunday Magazine.

Feeling Ilish

Hilsa, or 'Ilish' as the Bengalis call it, has faced indiscriminate exploitation in recent times. With Durga Pujo around the corner, are things going to get worse for Bengal's favourite fish?

Comic from my column with Sunday Mid-Day.

Bookworm Bijal the Sustainable Bookworm

Meet Bookworm Bijal- the sustainable bookworm! Calling upon my fellow bookworms to try and make our reading habits greener and cleaner bit by bit! Comic from my column with Pune Mirror.

Based on my dear friend, editor and collaborator Bijal Vachharajani who has read more books than the number of people I know! Bijal, a prolific editor and writer of kids' literature has several books to her credit that speak about sustainability and the environment, including What's Neema Eating Today (Pratham), So You Want to Know About the Environment (Rupa) and her latest, A Cloud Called Bhura (Speaking Tiger). 

Bijal's late partner Abhiyan was a scientist and educator whose work association with the Wardha-based Nalanda Academy revolved around preparing underprivileged young adults for college life. The Nalanda Academy launched the Abhiyan Library Campaign in his memory. You too can donate books to similar causes by visiting Pratham Books' https://donateabook.org.in.

Pygmy Hog Giant Problems

Meet the world's smallest wild pig, Assam's Pygmy Hog, whose problems are anything but pygmy. From my column with Roundglass Sustain.

Tokay Gecko Poaching

Among the most trafficked animals in the world, Tokay Geckoes are suffering heavily at the hands of poaching for the Chinese Medicine industry, falsely believed to have (you guessed it-) aphrodisiacal properties. The recent inclusion of the species in CITES Appendix II aims to help the gecko revive by regulating and monitoring this trade.

From my column with The Hindu Sunday Magazine.

How to Overcome a Creative Block: A Guide by the Common Bluebottle Butterfly

A guide for my fellow-artists from the Common Bluebottle Butterfly. Comic from my column with Sunday Mid-Day.

POsters available on my webstore here. For orders within India, mail me on rohanchakcartoonist@gmail.com.

House Sparrow Home Decor

Home decor by the House Sparrow. From my column with RoundGlass Sustain. Inspired by the antics of the sparrow couple from my box that leaves no available resource untapped to build a home!

Things people don't like to hear

'Let's act like our house in on fire'- says the Global Climate Strike's byline, scheduled for the 20th of September 2019. While governments and industries are to be blamed for 'our house being on fire', I hope that overpopulation, a major contributing factor to the fire that people do not like to talk about, and that cannot be overlooked anymore, will also be protested against.

Comic from my column with The Hindu's Sunday Magazine.

Uranium Mining in Nallamala

Nallamala forest in the Eastern Ghats of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh is under threat from the Departent of Atomic Energy, after its plan to mine Uranium here has been approved by the MoEF. Activists as well as members of the Chenchu tribes are protesting against the move. Among the myriad fauna that inhabits these forests, is the endangered and endemic Yellow-throated Bulbul.

Comic from my column with Sunday Mid-Day.

Wrapped Superstore

On single use plastics in superstores from my column with Pune Mirror. 

Choices: Birds of Paradise

Seriously, how do female Birds of Paradise say no to THAT?! From my column with Roundglass Sustain.

Dancing advice from the Indian Dancing Frog

Dancing frogs live along fast-flowing streams in the Western Ghats where they use 'dance moves' to woo their mates, by extending their hind legs and presenting the flashy webs to the ladies! From my column with RoundGlass Sustain.

Benefits of Sea Bird Poop

Benefits of sea bird poop, from my column with The Hindu's Sunday Magazine. Still want to buy Greenland, you nincompoop?

Jokowi Jokes

Indonesia soon plans to move its capital from the overcrowded, polluted and fast-sinking Jakarta to Borneo (between Samarinda and Balikpapan). Joko Widodo, the President of Indonesia performs stand-up comedy in my column with Sunday Mid-Day.

How Dung Beetles Roll

A comic poster on Dung Beetles from my column with Saevus magazine. Prints of the poster are available on my webstore here (for orders within India, email me on rohanchakcartoonist@gmail.com). 

Crocodilians of the World

Crocodilians are among the world's most popular as well as the most misunderstood reptiles. While cultures such as the ancient Egyptians and the Aztecs venerated crocodiles, they have today been reduced to creatures of peril. Crocodilians in fact, are pivotal to the ecosystems they inhabit, playing the role of super-predators, regulating the populations of terrestrial, aquatic as well as marine prey species, and (as in the case of smaller crocodiles and juveniles) also acting as prey for larger carnivores.

Crocodiles have been around since dinosaurs roamed the earth, and today inhabit every continent except Europe and the poles. They range in size from the massive 20 feet Estuarine Crocodile (also the largest living reptile in the world) to the tiny 4.9 feet Dwarf Crocodile. Several species of crocodilians are critically endangered today because of habitat loss and hunting. 

This brand new poster features all the 26 species of crocodilians described by science, and gives you their conservation status. The compilation is available as a wide range of prints and merchandise on my webstore here.

For prints and merchandise of the 'Alligators of the World' compilation, visit my webstore here.

For orders within India, e-mail me on rohanchakcartoonist@gmail.com. The range of products for Indian orders is as follows-

A1 Posters (Matte surface, loose)- Rs. 3000 for the first print, 2500 for the second print onwards

A2 Posters (Matte surface, loose)- Rs. 1200 for the first print, 1000 for the second print onwards

Loose Posters (A3- Individual species and compilation)- Rs. 500 for the first copy and Rs. 200 for the second copy onwards

Fridge Magnets (65 x 65 mm, Printed in sets of 4)- Any 4 cat caricatures for Rs. 1200

Coasters (3.5" x 3.5", Printed in sets of 6)- Any 6 cat caricatures for Rs. 800

Coffee Mug (Compilation)- Rs. 850

Tshirts (individual species/compilation)- Rs. 1300 (White, Cotton, roundneck, sizes- S,M,L,XL)

The Amazon Fires: A Flowchart

Cattle ranching for the Brazilian beef industry has been identified as one of the largest causes of the devastating forest fires in the Amazon. Beef exports from Brazil find their largest markets in Hong Kong, China, Egypt, the EU and USA among other countries. 

Comic from my column with Sunday Mid-Day.