Unseen or endemic to Madagascar

From top to bottom :
Two-banded Chameleon (雙帶變色龍) ; Giant Leaf-tailed Gecko (馬達加斯加葉尾守宮)
Military Macaw (軍艦金剛鸚鵡)
Lesser Chameleon (侏儒變色龍) ; Standing's Day Gecko (雲石巨人日光壁虎)
Malagasy / Madagascar (1993, 1999)
30th September, 2009. CAVP (Centre d'Approvisionnement en Valeurs Postales)
14th October, 2009. Antananarivo (Processing Centre)
2nd November, 2009. Hongkong

Although only the souvenir sheet related to bird theme, the macaw can't be found in Madagascar. Military Macaw is a large macaw in Latin and South America. Due to the vary inhabit areas, it widely to be found in topical rainforest, woodland or valley. Although the macaw was a popular pet in yesterday, nowadays as the change of inhabit area and illegal trading, it listed as vulnerable species in IUCN red list.

Oppositely, four stamps issued as WWF theme illustrate four chameleons and geckos individually are endemic to Madagascar. These four species are now as endanger species, unfortunately same as Military Macaw, they are facing illegal trading for pet market and the change of resident area.

The souvenir sheet and stamp set issued in different periods of Magagascar - former name Malagasy Republic and present name Republic of Madagascar are mixed on one cover. Madagascar is an island country located in the offshore of East Africa which is a fourth large island in the world, there can be found 5% species of the world and 80% of them are endemic to Madagascar.

Eastern White Pelican

Eastern White Pelican (白鵜鶘)
Ukraine (2007)
12th October, 2009. Kiev

Thank you Philipp of this mail from Kiev, actually this stamp set I waited for a long time and wanted to do it during stamp exhibition, however the Ukraine sale booth sold the stamps in HK$50, it was quite unreasonable as dealer only sells it in cheap price. The mail so pity that cancelled by machine postmark, it seems too heavy and two stamps couldn't been cancel.

Eastern White Pelican is one of large pelicans in the world, it breeds in south-east European countries and have short migration to southern Africa or south-west Asia for winter. This species is not endanger species but as more than 50% pelicans breed in the Danube Delta, where is an important breeding place of the pelicans in Romania and Ukraine. Especially only approximate 706km² of left bank of the Chilia area is situated in Ukraine, Eastern White Pelicans seem is a small settlement in this country.

Kakapo - it has been near extinct

Kakapo (鴞鸚鵡)
New Zealand (2005)
8th October, 2009. Te Anau, Fiorldland

Nowadays, near 110 kakapos are living in Chalky Island and Anchor Island, where are located in Fiordland National Park, the largest conservation area in New Zealand. Kakapo is one of original resident in New Zealand since pre-history, and it lost flying ability as there did not have main preys. Before the colonisation of there by Polynesian and European, kakapo is widely to be found in both north and south Islands, afterwards the population were largely decreasing to it become endanger species when the pets come with these colonial. In 1890, governor of New Zealand began to conserve this species, unfortunately this action was not successful, during the year of 1990 to 1995, only estimate 50 birds to be found in protection areas and they were facing danger by wild cats and other invasive species. Until 2005, all of kakapos moved to four special islands where all invasive species are cleaned, the population were increasing back to nowadays quantity.

Fiorldland National Park is in the south-west of the South Island, just near the largest lake in the island Lake Te Anau and the town Te Anau. Another famous endangered species Takahe (南秧雞) also to be found in this area.

Above cover affixed with whole set WWF Kakapo issue sent from Te Anau, features with New Zealand Demoiselle (紐西蘭鯛) and Kotukutuku (倒掛金鐘) stamps, which issued on 1979 and 1999.