South Africa Post issued a set of stamps featuring six endangered South African species to raise awareness of illegal animal trade.
Mlu Mathonsi, acting Group CEO of the Post Office, said a total of 50 000 stamp sheets will draw attention to the plight of the oribi, black rhino, grey crowned crane, ground hornbill, sungazer and Cape parrot.
The six were selected by the Endangered Wildlife Trust, an organisation founded in 1973 with the purpose of protecting South Africa’s threatened wildlife species. The artwork on the stamps is by Alan Ainslie, a wildlife artist who has exhibited with world-renowned artists such as Raymond Harris-Ching (New Zealand), Keith Joubert (South Africa) and Paul Bosman (US).
“But the Post Office is doing more than raise awareness. The Endangered Wildlife Trust has trained staff at South Africa’s international mail centres so X-ray machine operators know how to identify animals and animal parts in parcels to foreign countries”, Mathonsi said.
Animal poaching is an increasing global phenomenon. In Southern Africa, poaching has increased at an alarming rate. The situation has become so bad that local newspapers have labelled our national wildlife parks “killing fields”. Estimated to be the third largest illegal industry worldwide after drugs and human trafficking, poaching often has its roots in organised, trans-boundary crime and is among the most serious threats to the survival of plant and animal populations.
Poaching has a detrimental effect on biodiversity both within and outside protected areas. As wildlife populations decline, species are depleted locally, and the functionality of ecosystems is disturbed.
It is believed that sophisticated rhino and other wildlife theft networks are in operation, using helicopters and trucks to “strip South Africa of its wildlife”. Wildlife organisations in the country are therefore forced to continually increase security measures to protect our conservation areas and their wildlife.
Newq Stamp on Tourism theme
Laško – Tourist’s favourite destination
Slovenian Post released a special stamp that depicts Laško – one of the most famous tourist destinations of Slovenia on the 7th of March.
Laško is particularly renowned for the tradition of beer brewing and healing water springs. Wellness and health tourism are based on honey and beer treatment and are accessible to all.
The countryside around Laško offers pleasant spots, surroundings with its cultural and natural heritage intact. Unspoilt and interesting landscape is waiting to be discovered and explored. They invite you to countless mountain and hiking trails crisscrossing the local hills and valleys, leading through forests, over meadows and pastures.
In Laško, a large number of food and drink tastings take place all year round, as do several displays and presentations of local growers, craftsmen and artists.
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