The Jungle Book in the 21st century: Art and Storytelling in Conservation Science

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Conservation biologists the world over study species, landscapes, people, and their interactions–– all of which are extremely fascinating. Unfortunately, the way we communicate our science with peers or with the public is often hampered by the means, methods, language, and platforms we use. India is a globally important country for several species of charismatic megafauna, which were popularized in The Jungle Book animated feature films. Many of these species, like tigers, elephants, sloth bears, and wolves are found at higher densities in India than elsewhere in the world, while also sharing spaces with a population of 1.4 billion people. But do we know anything about these animals beyond The Jungle Book? How are wolf packs faring across India? What really are the simple ‘bear’ necessities? Is Shere Khan the tiger still facing the wrath of man in the jungle? Recent research on these species has generated incredible insights about their ecology, behavior, interactions with people, and conservation requirements. As with most research conducted in countries of the Global South, these findings are seldom celebrated, amplified, or effectively communicated with other scientists, local communities, wildlife managers, and the citizens. Impactful science communication can be an important tool for garnering public support, New Adventures in Nanopore Sequencing: Decoding host-virus interactions at the level of individual RNAs |building local stewardship for conservation, and achieving coexistence goals in shared human–natural ecosystems. Using case studies from India, I will show how combining art, humor, popular culture, visual aesthetics, and storytelling with ‘science’ can amplify our research outputs and broaden its impacts on society.


Bio:
Arjun Srivathsa is a DST-INSPIRE Fellow at the National Centre for Biological Sciences–TIFR, India, and an Affiliate Scientist at the Wildlife Conservation Society–India. He is currently a Fellow at the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin. His research deals with the conservation ecology of large carnivores in India. He is also an artist and cartoonist, engaged in science communication to promote nature education and conservation awareness.