IUCN Pronouns for Threatened Species

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categorises species into the following labels:

DD: Data deficient

LC: Least Concern

NT: Near-threatened

Vu: Vulnerable

En: Endangered

Cr: Critically endangered

EW: Extinct in the Wild

Ex: Extinct

NE: Not evaluated

The cartoon appears in my column with Roundglass Sustain. The entire archive of Green Huour comics published on Roundglass is on https://roundglasssustain.com/green-humour

In case you’re wondering where you’ve seen that moose before, it’s this comic on COP 27 and Biodiversity COP15!

Critically Endangered Bats of the World

Looking for a Halloween gift for a friend who is spooked by bats? Look no further! Meet the critically endangered bats of the world. Bats, being some of the most misunderstood creatures, are facing threats of all kinds, from habitat loss to hunting. The first step towards saving bats is to understand them and to dispel myths and fears from about them from our minds.

The artwork is available as posters, greetings and merchandise on my webstore here. The bat map is also available as prints on my webstore here. Orders for prints within India will be launching soon.

Note that some of the species presumed extinct have not been included in the compilation.

IUCN Red List and the Black necked Crane

The Black-necked Crane, a bird of immense cultural importance in Himalayan mythology and religion, is being considered for downlisting from 'Vulnerable' to 'Least Concern' on the IUCN Red List. Conservationists across the crane's range countries (India, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Pakistan) fear that this move may take the gravity of conservation threats to the bird (climate change, habitat loss, dams, melting glaciers, feral dogs and tourism pressures) away, and could make it easier for governments to allow linear intrusions along the crane's habitat. 

An article by Narendra Patil contesting the downlisting proposition can be read here. Birdlife and the IUCN are accepting comments on the matter until tomorrow, on this forum. 

Cartoon from my column with Roundglass Sustain. 

Albatrosses of the World

Know your Albatrosses this World Albatross Day (19th June)! Renowned for their incredible wingspans and ability to soar long distances at sea, albatrosses have long fascinated seamen and birders alike. 22 species are recognized by the IUCN, ranging across the Southern Ocean and the North Pacific. Albatrosses are some of the longest-living birds in the world, and 'Wisdom' a Laysan Albatross is the oldest banded wild bird. Albatrosses are threatened severely by longline fishing, feral animals in their nesting grounds, overfishing and habitat loss.

Prints of the albatross compilation are available as a wide range of apparel and merchandise on my webstore. 

Helmeted Hornbill Cartoons for IUCN

A set of cartoons done for the IUCN Hornbill Specialist Group on the critically endangered Helmeted Hornbill, released today on the occasion of 'Lone Hornbills Day'. A huge thanks to Aparajita Datta and Lucy Kemp for commissioning me for this. It's always a tremendous learning experience working with scientists of their caliber. 

Rhinos of the World

Rhinoceroses, despite being among the world's most loved large herbivores, are also among the world's most endangered. While brutal and indiscriminate poaching for their horns has been the single biggest threat to their existence, habitat loss too has played its part. 5 extant species; two in Africa and 3 in Asia survive today on the very brink of extinction. Africa's White or Square-lipped Rhino is the world's largest rhinoceros, while the Sumatran Rhino the smallest (and hairiest!). Three species, the Black, Javan and Sumatran Rhinos are critically endangered, while several subspecies are either critically endangered or already functionally or regionally extinct (e.g. Bornean Rhinoceros, Northern White Rhinoceros, Chittagong Rhinoceros).

Prints of the poster are available on my webstore here. 

For orders within India, email me on rohanchakcartoonist@gmail.com. The products available for orders within India are listed below:

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

Coffee Mug (Compilation)- Rs. 850

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

Smooth Pick Up Lines by the Smooth Coated Otter

The Smooth-coated Otter is one smooth operator! From my column with Sunday Mid-Day.

IUCN Status

The comic appears in Roundglass Samsara and The Hindu BL-ink.