A new map by cartoonist and illustrator Rohan Chakravarty makes for a valuable tool for students and naturalists alike
Rohan Chakravarty
Q. How and why did you pick the hornbill?
A. I picked hornbills for a couple of reasons. Hornbills are indispensable as seed dispersers and are capable of regenarating entire forests, but their habitats are fast diminishing owing to unplanned development. Hornbills are still hunted in the North-East for their casques, which are used in traditional costumes. Correcting the general lack of awareness about hornbills is the first step to conserving them. Also, owing to the interesting diversity in the morphologies and colouration of hornbills offered great scope for playing around in the illustration.
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Rohan Chakravarty
Q. What were some of the most fascinating things that you learnt about the hornbill while researching for the map?
A. The most interesting fact I came across while researching for the map was that four species — The Indian Grey, the Malabar Grey, the Sri Lanka Grey and the Narcondam Hornbills are endemic to the subcontinent, which means that they are found nowhere else in the world!
The Hornbill map was released at Art for Hornbills, a group display held in Bangalore, which was a fund-raiser for the Nature Conservation Foundation’s Hornbill Nest Adoption Programme in Pakke, Arunachal Pradesh. (More on www.artforhornbills.org)
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