Meet the world's smallest wild pig, Assam's Pygmy Hog, whose problems are anything but pygmy. From my column with Roundglass Sustain.
↧
Pygmy Hog Giant Problems
↧
Bookworm Bijal the Sustainable Bookworm
Meet Bookworm Bijal- the sustainable bookworm! Calling upon my fellow bookworms to try and make our reading habits greener and cleaner bit by bit! Comic from my column with Pune Mirror.
Based on my dear friend, editor and collaborator Bijal Vachharajani who has read more books than the number of people I know! Bijal, a prolific editor and writer of kids' literature has several books to her credit that speak about sustainability and the environment, including What's Neema Eating Today (Pratham), So You Want to Know About the Environment (Rupa) and her latest, A Cloud Called Bhura (Speaking Tiger).
Bijal's late partner Abhiyan was a scientist and educator whose work association with the Wardha-based Nalanda Academy revolved around preparing underprivileged young adults for college life. The Nalanda Academy launched the Abhiyan Library Campaign in his memory. You too can donate books to similar causes by visiting Pratham Books' https://donateabook.org.in.
↧
↧
Feeling Ilish
Hilsa, or 'Ilish' as the Bengalis call it, has faced indiscriminate exploitation in recent times. With Durga Pujo around the corner, are things going to get worse for Bengal's favourite fish?
Comic from my column with Sunday Mid-Day.
↧
A Tale of Two Hilsa Lovers
Bengal's unending appetite for Hilsa could spell doom not only for the fish itself, but for coastal ecosystems along the Bay of Bengal. The demand escalates exponentially in the festive months, to meet which, unsustainable methods such as bottom trawling are employed, threatening not just fish stocks and marine environments, but also artisanal and sustainable fishing practices. With Durga Pujo around the corner, things are only likely to get worse for Hilsa, as well as predators like sharks that depend on Hilsa and other estuarine fish.
Comic from my column with The Hindu Sunday Magazine.
↧
Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary
(Click to enlarge)
Vikramshila, India's only dolphin sanctuary, is located on the holy Ganga in Bhagalpur, Bihar, and is one of the last remaining strongholds for the endangered Gangetic Dolphin. The sanctuary is also the breeding ground of the endangered Greater Adjutant (locally known and revered as Garuda), Smooth-coated Otters and several freshwater turtles; and is visited by a myriad migratory bird species in the winters.
Illustrated for the Forest Department of Bihar.
↧
↧
How some Creatures Cope with Climate Change
How some creatures cope with climate change. From my column with The Hindu Sunday Magazine.
↧
New Environmental Cusswords
Some new environmental cusswords for your vocabulary to start the week with. Add your own! From my column with Sunday Mid-Day.
↧
Gangetic Dolphin Mascot and Poster
Meet Muskaan the Gangetic Dolphin, India's national aquatic animal, and Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary's official mascot! Vikramshila is the only dolphin sanctuary in India. The poster explains some of the conservation threats the species faces in and around the sanctuary, and is being used for conservation awareness locally.
Thanks to the Forest Department of Bihar for commissioning me for the assignment!
↧
The Winter Visitor from the Caucasus
A 7 gram bird connecting two distant worlds. Isn't migration a truly wonderful phenomenon?
Do look out for that tiny green speck flitting about in your backyard tree this winter! A comic on migratory warblers from my column with Pune Mirror.
↧
↧
Illegal Palm Oil
Redesigned logos of some companies sourcing illegal palm oil in Indonesia. Based on the findings of an investigation in Sumatra, Indonesia by Rainforest Action Network. Comic from my column with Sunday Mid-Day.
↧
21st Century Problems and the Vaquita
Numbering barely over 20, the Vaquita, found in the Gulf of California, is the world's most endangered marine mammal, threatened by gillnets used for fishing Totoaba. Comic from my column with The Hindu Sunday Magazine.
↧
Mysticellus
Meet Mysticellus, a new genus of frogs that was discovered earlier this year in Wayanad, Kerala. What makes the discovery remarkable is that a completely new genus has been found, and not just a species! Behind the discovery are anurologists Sonali Garg and SD Biju. Comic from my column with RoundGlass Sustain.
Read more about the discovery in my friend Aathira Perinchery's article in The Hindu.
↧
The Nicobar Megapode
I can barely contain my excitement for my maiden visit to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands for the Andaman Literature Festival, so here's a comic about the Nicobar Megapode from my column with Sunday Mid-Day. Megapodes are habitual composters. Are you?
A more detailed account of the Nicobar Megapode's nesting behaviour appears in my book Bird Business.
↧
↧
The Edible Nest Swiftlet
Cave swiftlets are bat-birds among birds, in a sense that they're among the very few birds capabe of echolocation! One such bird is a native of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (and South-East Asia), the Edible-Nest Swiftlet. Harvesting of the birds' nest for the Oriental delicacy 'Bird nest soup' has led to a decline in numbers. But conservation efforts initiated by the legendary ornithologist, late Dr. Ravi Shankaran have ensured the species' survival.
Comic from my column with The Hindu Sunday Magazine.
↧
Meet India's Bioluminescent Creatures this Diwali
Here are some of India's bioluminescent creatures wishing you all a happy Diwali. From my column with Pune Mirror.
↧
Endemism in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are a jewel in India's biodiversity crown. But unplanned development and pressures from tourism are threatening the endemic biodiversity of the islands. Here's the endemic Andaman Day Gecko's monologue from my column with Sunday Mid-Day.
↧
The Ruddy Turnstone
Meet the Ruddy Turnstone, a peculiarly happy-go-lucky wader! Comic from my column with The Hindu Sunday Magazine.
↧
↧
Canopy Shyness
Ever been accused of being a bad hugger? Don't worry, you're not alone, AND there's a fancy word for it! Comic from my column with Sunday Mid-Day.
↧
Online Wildlife Trade
Welcome to the internet, the world's one stop shop for illegal wildlife trade. Comic from my column with The Hindu.
↧
Sea Turtle Nesting
Why sea turtle mothers return to the same nesting grounds year after year. Comic from my column with Roundglass Sustain.
↧