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.

Wildlife Map of Himachal Pradesh

(Click on the image for a larger view)

Did you know that the state of Himachal Pradesh is home to two biogeographical realms: the Palearctic and the Indomalayan? And this is what makes its biodiversity so special. Delighted to present my illustration for the Himachal Forest Department: The Wildlife Map of Himachal Pradesh. From the pine forests of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Great Himalayan National Park that harbours Himachal's majestic state bird, the Western Tragopan; to the cold deserts of Lahaul Spiti where Snow Leopards roam, the illustration focuses on species richness, diversity and distribution across this Himalayan state.

The map, released officially during the Wildlife Week in October, is up for display at various offices and interpretation centres in the state, and will soon be out as souvenirs. Please note that prints of this illustration are not for sale through my store, and the copyrights belong to the HP Forest Department.

Himalayan Wildlife Celebrates the Rhododendron Bloom

Come March, and red Rhododendron flowers can be seen painting the Himalayas red their vibrance. Here are some Himalayan animals celebrating the bloom, and wishing my readers a happy Holi. Cartoon from my column with Roundglass Sustain. 

Chir Pine and Forest Fires of Uttarakhand

The Cheer Pheasant, a resident of Uttarakhand's Chir Pine forests tells the complicated story about the state's annual forest fires, in my column with RoundGlass Sustain.

Jujurana- Mascot for the Great Himalayan National Park

Meet Jujurana the Western Tragopan, the official mascot for the Great Himalayan National Park in Himachal Pradesh. The park is among the last places in the wild where this majestic but rare pheasant can still be seen. Threatened by hunting and habitat loss, the resplendent bird lives in high altitude temperate forests.

Watch my friend Munmun Dhalaria's brilliant documentary on the Western Tragopan, and the people who protect it, on National Geographic here.

Wild Bhutan

I'm just back from my second trip to Bhutan and could not resist the temptation of drawing wildlife from this wonderland again! Here's a collage of Bhutan's wildlife- 22 of the myriad of wild fauna found in the Cloud Kingdom.

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

For orders within India, please view the range of products available below-

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

(email your orders to rohanchakcartoonist@gmail.com, mentioning a postal address and contact number for delivery. Payments are accepted via NEFT or PayTM)

Note that this list is far from accurate or complete, but does cover some of the country's most prominent fauna, such as its national animal, the Golden Takin; its national bird, the Common Raven; the Black-necked Crane, an important bird in Bhutanese folklore, and so on. For a more comprehensive list and distribution of the wildlife of Bhutan, please go through my 2016 project with WWF Bhutan, The Wildlife Map of Bhutan.

Some Indian Birds Decked Up for the Big Pride March

Green Humour congratulates India's LGBTQ community for finally winning the battle to recognize gay sex as legal, after decades of oppression and injustice. Let's celebrate this step towards building a more progressive and inclusive nation, as our wildlife has always been doing!

The Biodiversity of India

Who knows India better than her National Animal? From my column with Roundglass Samsara.

Uttarakhand Burning- A National Emergency

The forests of Uttarakhand have been set on fire by the timber mafia (report here). A nexus of timber black marketers and villagers has been unearthed. Please spread the word and request immediate intervention by the government. Follow updates from Uttarakhand on this Facebook page.

You can download a high resolution image here-

Women's Day with Himalayan Monals

The Himalayan Monal is a pheasant found in the Himalayas, and is one of the most spectacular birds in the world. However, the female of the species appears drab in comparison to the male, but with very good reason. It is the lady who performs all the incubation and other nesting duties, while the male stands guard, so her humble plumage ensures that the nest does not attract a predator's attention.

Now go tell your woman why she is special this Women's Day!

The Himalayan Monal

Nature TV is back with one of the most colourful birds in the world- the Himalayan Monal! With almost every shade from the palette adorning its body, the monal is a birdwatcher's favourite and a visual delight. This member of the pheasant family inhabits the temperate oak-conifer forests of the Himalayas and has besotted many a region with its charm, with Nepal conferring upon the monal the National Bird title and the states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh making it their State Bird. As is common among pheasants, monals are sexually dimorphic, with the females coloured dull brown and the male blessed with all the extravagance. 

Monals are poached heavily for their colourful feathers and are also losing out their habitats rapidly to urbanization and hydel power projects. 

Here's a caricature of a Himalayan Monal pair, the prints of which will be released at my exhibition 'Wildlife the Toonie Way' that begins in Bangalore on the 13th of September. You can pre-order the poster by e-mailing me on rohanchakcartoonist@gmail.com, or if you're in Bangalore, you can see me at the exhibition and order your prints!

The cartoon appeared in Tinkle Digest earlier this year and the caricature in Saevus magazine.