COVER N. 338 - MOLDOVA

Postmark: Poşta Moldova  Chișinău  16.10.2023

Posted on the 16th October; received on the 26th October 2023

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It is not everyday that I get mail from Moldova, so this rather clean  and neat cover, with a very nice small souvenir sheet on it was a very welcomed addition to the collection.  Thanks a great lot, Matthias!

Who would have said that the black swan (Cygnus atratus) is original from Australia? In my own country they were quite common in public gardens when i was a child.... (come to think of it, i don't remember seeing them around lately...) but all European black swans are descendants of birds introduced in the 19th century for "decorative" and zoo collection purposes.

As such it is no surprise that a black swan would feature on this souvenir sheet dedicated to an European zoo,  the Chisinau Zoological garden.

The stamp was issued on 30MAY2023, along with a set of four stamps illustrated with images of other animals in the zoo collection, namely a lama, a crocodile, a parrot and an emu.

The Postmark indicates that the cover was mailed from the country's capital, Chișinău.