Jessami - an Illustrated Biodiversity Map

Last year in March, commissioned by Roundglass Sustain, I travelled to Jessami, a Naga village in the remote north-eastern corner of Manipur. Inhabited primarily by members of the Chakhesang tribe, Jessami's residents have historically hunted birds and other wildlife as means of sustenance. Now, the village and its residents are actively involved in the conservation of the region's birdlife and wildlife, with Manipur's State Bird the Hume's Pheasant being the cornerstone and the pride of the village.

This illustrated map details Jessami's rich biodiversity- to be used both as a handy tool for locals and guides, as well as collectibles and souvenirs for tourists and wildlife enthusiasts. The map's visual style and illustrated elements pay homage to weavers of the Chakhesang community, whose art is passed only in person intergenerationally, and created seldom with any monetary motive!

A big thanks to Neha Dara and Megha Moorthy of Roundglass Sustain for trusting me with this project, Weyepe Mekrisuh and Asset Weyzah for guiding me during my field visit and for sharing their immense knowledge of local history, topography and culture with me. Thanks also to Mr. Weyzah for opening the doors of his home to me, where Mrs. Weyzah generously taught me her family recipe of Eromba, and where his uncles and aunts gave me invaluable insights into the community's art and fabric.

I urge fellow birdwatchers, wildlife enthusiasts as well as those looking for enriching artistic and ethnographic experiences, to visit Jessami and support the Jessami Village Council's efforts to sustain the tourism models that they have instituted to safeguard the avifauna and the wildlife of the region, including the iconic Hume's Pheasant, an IUCN Vulnerable species. More information about Jessami can be accessed on this Roundglass Sustain article of which this map illustration is a part.

Black Softshell Turtle

Happy #WorldTurtleDay ! Delighted to share the first of two comics I created for the impact campaign of Gunjan Menon's National Geographic film, 'Looking for Lao Mura', about the critically endangered Black Softshell Turtle. Doubly chuffed that the comics will be up on display in Assamese locally! In collaboration with Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises of India

So grateful for this opportunity, Gunjan, Anuja Mital and Pradeep Hegde!

Small Cat Poaching in North East India

A new study by Amit Kumar Bal et al. reveals that poaching of small cats is on the rise along the Indo-Myanmar border. A Marbled Cat gives you a quick summary, from in column with Roundglass Sustain. 

Read more about the study on Mongabay India here.

Mizoram Parachute Gecko

Uses of the Mizoram Parachute Gecko's patagia (gliding membranes). Yes, a caped lizard actually exists in the forests of North-East India! Read more about herpetologist Zeeshan Mirza's work on this species here. 

Comic from my column with The Hindu.

The Evolution of the Legless Glass Lizard

The evolution of the legless Glass Lizard had been a mystery… until now! Comic from my column with Roundglass Sustain, on a reptile I’m dying to see in the wild, and which this article on Roundglass sheds more light on.

2022's New Discoveries Congratulate India's Biologists

Just a few of 2022's new kids on the block! Congratulations to India's biologists for all the splendid discoveries this year! We sure hope the streak continues in 2023!

From my column with Roundglass Sustain. 

Loktak Lake

The phumdis of Manipur's iconic Loktak Lake are under threat from a mega tourism project. Comic from my column with The Hindu Sunday Magazine.

Meghalaya Thick-thumbed Bat

It's 2022 and new mammals are still being discovered in India! You read that right. Meet the Meghalaya thick-thumbed Bat Glischropus meghalayanus, discovered and described by Uttam Saikia, Gabor Csorba and Manuel Ruedi. Comic from my Roundglass Sustain column. 

World Binturong Day

Get acquainted with the Binturong on World Binturong Day! These bizarre bear-like civets are found across North-east India and South-east Asia. Comic from my column with Roundglass Sustain.

Khasi Pitcher

Meet India's only known pitcher plant: the Khasi Pitcher, which uses UV light to attract prey! Comic fro my Roundglass Sustain column.

Clouded Leopard in Nagaland

Researchers from the Wildlife Protection Society of India have recently sighted a Clouded Leopard at 3700 metres in Nagaland, making it the highest sighting of the species in the world! Nature TV reports live, for my column with Roundglass Sustain.

Palm Oil Expansion in India

On the expansion of palm oil in India from my column with The Hindu.

Biodiversity Map of Assam

(Click on the images for a larger view)

Easily among the states with the richest biodiversity in India, Assam is a true jewel in the North-eastern crown. Its floodplains, both ravaged and replenished by the mighty Brahmaputra, are home to Indian giants like the Asian Elephant and the One-horned Rhinoceros (the state animal), the world's smallest pig- the Pygmy Hog, as well as endangered birds like the Black-breasted Parrotbill. Its forest streams and marshes offer refuge to its state bird, the rare White-winged Wood Duck, and its hills house endemic species like the Cachar Bulbul and the Assam Laughingthrush. Assam's birdlife is much sought after and celebrated by birdwatchers from India and abroad, boasting of nearly 700 bird species, made possible by the merger of the dense Himalayan foothills and the fertile Brahmaputra floodplains in the state. Assam's cities and towns protect rare inhabitants like the Greater Adjutant Stork, and lakes like Maguri Bheel (unfortunately ravaged by an oil fire last year) are home to large numbers of migratory waterfowl, including the critically endangered Baer's Pochard. And its hill forests are home to some of the rarest Indian primates: the Golden Langur, the Hoolock Gibbon, and the Pig-tailed and Stump-tailed Macaques. Assam also has the highest number of freshwater turtle and tortoise species for any state in India!

The compass of the map pays tribute to Hargilla Army, an all-women team dedicated to conserving the Greater Adjutant, led by Ms. Purnima Barman. Thanks to Ms. Archita Baruah Bhattacharya and WWF India for commissioning the illustration! (Copyrights belong to WWF India)

Birdwatching in Arunachal Pradesh

The dilemma of birdwatching in bird-rich regions. Arunachal Pradesh has consistently been yielding surprise after surprise, adding new species to the Indian checklist like the Yunnan Nuthatch and Red-flanked Bluetail among others, giving India even more reason to conserve its forests. Cartoon from my Roundglass Sustain column. 

Maguri Burning

Maguri Bheel has been the wintering ground for hundreds of migratory waterbirds , including the critically endangered Baer's Pochard, which visits India all the way from Siberian latitudes. What will these birds do when they return to a burned Maguri Bheel, courtesy of Oil India's oil blow out? Comic from my column with Sunday Mid-Day. 

Mammals of Sikkim

Some mammals of Sikkim and their tracks. Illustration for the Sikkim Forest Department, paying tributet o Himalayan Thangka art. Click on the image for an enlarged view.

Fambonglho Wildlife Sanctuary Illustrated Map

Fambonglho Wildlife Sanctuary in Sikkim is a lot more than just a wildlife sanctuary: a place where mythology and folklore meet conservation. Here's an illustrated map of Fambonglho created for the Forest Department of Sikkim, that merges the flora and fauna of the park with the myths and legends of indigenous communities that live in and around it. The map pays tribute to Himalayan Thangka art. Click on the images for a larger view.

I am grateful to DFO Ms. Dechen Lachungpa for arranging a field visit to the sanctuary and for commissioning the project; my second collaboration with the Sikkim Forest Department. The prints of the map will be displayed at the sanctuary and the map and various elements from within it, will be available as souvenirs for visitors.

Kaziranga Flood Relief

Homage to all the people, organization and forces responsible for making Kaziranga bounce back after every flood season. Comic from my column with Roundglass Sustain.

Stump-tailed Macaque

Meet the Stump-tailed Macaque, a monkey threatened by habitat loss. In India, the species is found in the North-East. Additional trivia: this primate is so shaggy, it is also known as the Bear Macaque!

Comic from my column with Roundglass Sustain.

Wildlife Institute of India and Dibang Dam

Funded by Jindal Power (which will be executing the Etalin Dam project in Dibang Valley, along with the State Hydropower Corporation of Arunachal Pradesh), the Wildlife Institute of India conducted a 4 month study (despite a multiple seasonal replicate study being mandated by the Forest Advisory Committee), and concluded with a green signal for the project. 24 wildlife scientists from across India who have worked in Dibang Valley, have peer-reviewed the study, pointing out major flaws in the study, and the very fact that the study was designed to look more like research for a mitigation plan rather than analyzing the impacts of the projects in the first place.  

Read more on Arunachal Times here.