Grey Slender Loris

Meet the Grey Slender Loris from my column with Roundglass Sustain, threatened by habitat loss.

Primates of Vietnam

Vietnam is a land of incredible biodiversity, specially when it comes to primates. With 25 species of primates, it is among the world's foremost primate-watching hotspots. However, with the exception of the Rhesus and Long-tailed Macaques, most of Vietnam's primates are facing grave threats from poaching, hunting and pet trade, and many are on the very brink of extinction. 7 of these species are critically endangered on IUCN's Red List, and feature on the list of the world's most endangered primates. 

Ravaged by war, Vietnam has had a rough ride with wildlife conservation. American troops stationed in Vietnam's forests during the Vietnam War used these incredibly beautiful primates for 'target-practice' (other than decimating Vietnam's forests with the dreadful Agent Orange). Before Vietnam's  ecology even had a chance to recover from chemical annihilation, in came traditional Chinese medicine, sweeping populations of wild animals for their body parts, particularly the langurs and gibbons. Bushmeat, poaching and the illegal pet trade continue to take a toll, pushing many of these species closer to extinction irreversibly.

The mini-map presents each of these 25 primates and their approximate ranges within Vietnam. Prints and merchandise are available 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.

A3- Rs. 500 for the first print, 200 for the second print onwards.

(PS- Vietnam has a primate rehabilitation centre (EPRC) at Cuc Phuong National Park, where many of these primates rescued from poachers and traders, are being cared for. The Centre has also successfully reintroduced rescued individuals into the wild. You can help the EPRC by making a donation here-http://www.eprc.asia/support-us/donate/)

The Slow Loris Pet Trade

Slow Lorises are a species group of nocturnal primates (yes, primates, not teddy bears!), that inhabit the rainforests of South-East Asia, among which India is home to one species- the Bengal Slow Loris. All species of Slow Loris are facing the threat of extinction because of hunting, habitat loss, logging and pet trade.

The comic appears in my column with The Hindu BLink.

Ethical Wildlife Photography

A couple of cartoons I did for Conservation India's guide to ethical wildlife photography- 'Stop! Don't Shoot Like That'. If you are a wildlife photographer, this article by Shekhar Dattatri and Ramki Sreenivas is a must read for you.

The Endemics of Sri Lanka

Happy Sri Lankan Independence Day! Did you know that the gorgeous island of Sri Lanka has one of the highest rates of endemism in the world? 16% of its fauna is found nowhere else on the planet! As with most biodiversity-rich islands, several of Sri Lankan endemics are either endangered or are cruising towards endangerment owing to habitat loss.

Here are 22 of the species I found the most amusing (the actual list of endemic animals is over 500). The collage includes the National Bird of Sri Lanka, the Junglefowl, the Sri Lankan Birdwing, which is the National Butterfly, and two of the most striking lizards in the world, among others. 

Prints can be purchased as posters, art prints, t-shirts, mugs, laptop skins, notebooks and more, from my webstore here.

If you're in India you can place orders for the following products by mailing me on rohanchakcartoonist@gmail.com-

A1 poster (594 x 841mm)- Rs. 1800 each

A2 Poster (419 x 594mm)- Rs. 1200 each

A3 Poster - Rs. 500 for the first copy and Rs. 200 for the second copy onwards 

Tshirt (S,M,L,XL)- Rs. 1300

Coffee Mug (Compilations)- Rs. 850

Personal Diary (Hard Cover, A5, 150 pages)-  Rs. 800