Sunderbans Biosphere Reserve Illustrated Map

(click on the image for a larger preview)

The distinction of being the most populated tiger reserve, not by tigers but by humans, comes with unique challenges, both for tigers and humans. Add to that the constant flux that tides, floods, cyclones and climate change bring to the delta, and you get a landscape that makes every day a battle for survival. And yet, Sunderban, with all its socio-political challenges and conservation threats, is the only hope for the people as well as the wildlife that inhabit it.

This map of the Indian fraction of the Sunderbans (a majority of the mangrove forest is in Bangladesh) attempts to present the major flora and fauna species that share the delta with humankind, making the mangrove and tidal ecosystems and their people an interdependent component in their own right. The art style in the map pays tribute to rural Bengal's Patachitra art, while the compass is a homage to the legend of Bonobibi and Dokhhin Ray, a thread that binds humans and nature in a tightly knit web. A few snippets from the map are below.

The map has been commissioned by the Wildlife Trust of India, and is on display at the Sunderbans' mangrove interpretation centre at Sajnekhali. By special arrangement, prints of the map are also available via my Happywagon webstore here, shipped both in India and abroad.

A huge thanks to Mr. Samrat Paul of WTI for sharing his time and expertise with me during my field visit to the Sunderbans that made the illustration possible. 

Project Tiger and Project Elephant

Conservation news that doesn't make headlines: Project Tiger and Project Elephant have recently been merged. Cartoon for my column with The Hindu Sunday Magazine. 

Tigers and their Favourite Prey

Tigers and their favourite prey. A World Tiger Day special for DW Environment. 

Collarwaali

A tribute to the tigress Collarwaali from Pench Tiger Reserve, who died at the grand age of 17 recently. I had the privilege of meeting her twice. Cartoon from my Roundglass Sustain column.

Simlipal's Melanistic Tigers

Odisha's famed 'black tigers' from Simlipal Tiger Reserve have long harboured a genetic secret, finally decoded by the eminent biologist Dr. Uma Ramakrishnan and Vinay Sagar from the NCBS. The genetic mutation is linked to inbreeding and restricted gene flow. Cartoon from my Roundglass Sustain column. 

A Tiger Celebrates Independence Day

An Independence Day special from my column with Sunday Mid-day. 

A Tigress Reviews Sherni

Amit Masurkar's new film about the challenges, sociopolitics, and the many grey areas of tiger conservation in India, is sure to go down in history as the first accurate portrayal of conservation issues in mainstream Hindi cinema. Other than having some stellar performers (Vidya Balan, Vijay Raaz, Sharat Saxena, Brijendra Kala and Neeraj Kabi among others), Sherni is also a beautifully made film, with various aspects of filmmaking being quite simply, top-notch. A completely palpable and believable Vidya Balan portrays DFO Vidya Vincent with both the calmness and grit that I have witnessed in so many female forest officers I have had the honour of interacting and working with. The brilliant Vijay Raaz, who I last saw playing a whimsical gangster obsessed with wildlife trivia in the much-underrated comedy 'Lootcase', plays a moth biologist and forest department consultant, while the legendary Sharat Saxena slips comfortably into the role of a hunter clearly based on the egomaniacal and trigger-happy Nawab Shafat Ali Khan. But the prime highlight of the film isn't its theatric or technical perfection, but the fact that the nuances of conservation in India are portrayed with pinpoint precision. If you've ever walked a patrol with a forest guard, interacted with forest-dwelling tribes who are the foremost victims of man-animal conflict without even being the cause, or even spent a few minutes at a forest department office, you will identify with every minute of Sherni's screentime. And of course, a special mention goes to the film's producers at T-Series not just for backing a film of utmost social relevance, but also being sporting enough to take a joke on their own erstwhile hit song 'Achha sila diya'! It would not surprise you to know that Amit Masurkar was the man behind the exceptional political drama, Newton.

A recommendation for those who have watched and loved Sherni: Anay Tarnekar's powerful Marathi short film 'The Kill', starring Radhika Apte and Girish Kulkarni, which speaks about tiger poaching.

Comic from my column with Roundglass Sustain.

Bandhavgarh Hot Air Balloon

On Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve launching India's first hot air balloon safari, from my column with The Hindu. 

Lantana and Tiger Reserves

On the invasion of India's green cover by Lantana, from my column with Sunday Mid-Day. Read more about the issue in Rajat Rastogi's article for Mongabay here.

Draft EIA and the Tiger

Draft EIA and the Tiger. Comic from my column with Sunday Mid-Day. The deadline for registering your objection to the Draft EIA is just one week from now. Remember that if you represent an government board or a government affiliated organization, it isn't your weakness but your strength, as the collective voices of you and your colleagues will make a lot more impact than other individuals.

World Tiger Day 2020

Meet just a few of the many animals that have been named after the Tiger, on World Tiger Day! Comic from my column with Roundglass Sustain. Can you think of any more?

And here is a World Tiger Day for India's Environment Ministry, which is all set to undo years of conservation with its Draft EIA.

Golden Tiger

Earlier this month, pictures of a Golden Tiger from Kaziranga took over the internet, and what should have been a cause for worry became a cause for celebration. Comic from my column with The Hindu, ahead of World Tiger Day.

Owls and Wildlife Veterinarians

Some similarities between owls and wildlife veterinarians: Comic from my column with The Hindu. The lockdown has been no vacation for wildlife vets across the country, who have been performing rescues and rehabilitation despite the challenges. 

My first tryst with the work of a wildlife veterinarian was on a field visit to Manas National Park on assignment, where I witnessed two of the first reintroduced rhinos of the park being hand-raised by ace wildlife veterinarian Dr. Bhaskar Chowdhry. The comic is inspired by the work of two of my wildlife vet pals, Dr. Ruta Bandivadekar who supervised the tranquilization and radio-collaring of tigers around Nagpur, and Dr. Ushma Patel, whose prodigious portfolio includes designing the first prosthetic limb for a wild bird in India (a Black Kite).

Online Wildlife Trade

Welcome to the internet, the world's one stop shop for illegal wildlife trade. Comic from my column with The Hindu.

Brachiating Tiger

On the lack of mitigation measures in India, from my column with Pune Mirror.

Mothers' Day Musings of a Grown Tiger Cub

Wishing mothers around the world, tame and wild, a happy Mothers' Day! If you're giving your mom a hug today, give her another one from me :)

Comic from my column with Sunday Mid-Day.

Highways versus Stripes

As the government sanctions more and more development threatening the connectivity of forests, navigating territories without coming in conflict with people becomes a challenge for tigers. The comic appears in my column with Sunday Mid-day.

A Royal Tiger Hunt

Sunday Mid-Day brings out a special segment on Yavatmal's 'problem tigress' Avni's management by the Forest Ministry and Maharashtra Forest Department, and the deeply flawed and dubious involvement of Shafath Ali Khan in the operation. Here is my take for this special edition of the paper today.

The Killing of Avni

No veterinarian at the scene. A dart hand-pierced through her skin. The Nawab's son shooting her dead despite the shooting orders issued in the Nawab's name. 

While the killing of Avni, Yavatmal's 'problem tigress' may have become inevitable and imperative, the way it was done raises some very embarrassing questions about the credibility of the Maharashtra Forest Department.

Read Vijay Pinjarkar's detailed reportage of the incident here. 

Some Tips to Deal with Men in Science

With the #MeToo movement finally gaining momentum in India, I hope that the issues concerning the safety of women working in ecology, wildlife science and conservation will be discussed and addressed, and that there will be a focus on creation of safe working environments for women in these fields. Being male, and not having been on the receiving end of sexual harassment, I realize that I may not fully comprehend the gravity of the situation. Hence, the comic has been created with inputs from various female friends, seniors and mentors working in ecology and conservation. I thank them for trusting me with the information, and for sharing their experiences with me.

The comic appears in my column with Sunday Mid-day.