COVERS N. 614/5/6 - SRI LANKA 

Postmark: Headquarters P.O. Colombo Mail 04.07.2025

Posted on the 4th July; Received on the 17th July 2025

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Continuing with Ravindra's most generous mail barrage, this time with a truly interesting series dedicated to the fauna of one of the country's protected areas: Minneriya National Park.

Bohoma sthuthi, Ravi!

Due to the large size of the individual stamps, Ravi chose to spread the series over three envelopes, so for the sake of clarity I'll combine them all into one single post.

Minneriya National Park occupies an 8.9 thousand hectares area in the centre of the North Central Province of Sri Lanka and before it became a National Park in 1997, it already enjoyed Protected area status as a wildlife sanctuary, since 1938.

According to Wikipedia, the park is home to 24 species of mammals, 160 species of birds, 9 species of amphibians, 25 species of reptiles, 26 species of fish, and 75 species of butterflies.

The very beautiful series issued in 26JUN2025 both as regular single stamps and as 1 stamp souvenir sheets, comprises 10 stamps, all of the same denomination (50 Rupees).

Stamps. left to right; top to bottom:

- Yellow striped chevrotain (Moschiola Kathygre). This small mouse-deer, about the size of a domestic cat, of nocturnal habits, was only described as a new species in 2005. Further to Sri Lanka it can also be found in  India, Myanmar, and Thailand,

- Sri Lankan Elephant (Elephas maximus maximus)

Sri Lanka has the largest elephant density of Asia, for a total (2019) of 7500 of these gentle giants, spread all over the dry areas of the country.

Loss of habitat due to increased claiming of land for cultivation has put the relation between men and beast at the point of conflict, with hundreds of elephants being killed each year to protect crops and homes...

- Indian Star Tortoise (Geochelone elegans)

The species, endemic to Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka, which can attain 10 inches long when adult, has been subject to the strain of illegal pet traffic and is now classified as vulnerable by IUCN.

- Sri Lankan Jackal (Canis aureus naria),

The Sri Lankan Jackal can be found all across the country, the canid being a sub-species of the common jackal, which in turn can be found from  Africa to Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia. 

- Black naped hare (Lepus nigricollis)

 A common species of hare, native to the Indian subcontinent, and Java.

- Sri Lankan sloth bear (Melursus ursinus inornatus) 

This type of bear native to the dry forests of Sri Lanka is an highly threatened species, classified by IUCN as endangered. Its total population may not exceed 500 individuals.

Like the elephant, the loss of habitat due to land claim for cultivation purposes has strained the relation with local populations.

- Indian Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) 

The pangolin, a native of the Indian subcontinent, is the most trafficked protected species. It is also classified as endangered by IUCN, its numbers diminishing in the wild due to it being illegally hunted because its scales are highly sought as traditional medicine and as raw material for  jewellery and also due to the consumption of its meat.

This insectivore mammal of nocturne habits, can be found in the  Sri Lankan rainforest and plains to middle hill levels.

- Asian openbill (Anastomus oscitans)

A common site in much of  India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand and Cambodia. this member of the stork family is peculiar in that its beak presents a curved gap between the two mandibles, which is developed as the bird enters its adult phase (newborns do not have this feature) which helps the bid handle the round carapaces of snails, which they mainly feed on.

- Brahminy kite (hallastur indus)

Common in  Sri Lanka, Nepal, India, Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and southeast Asia and as far south as New South Wales, Australia, this member of the Accipitridae family looks quite distinctive with its white head and breast, which contrasts with the red brown of the rest of the body lumage.

Painted Stork (Mycteria leucocephala)

Another member of the stork family (Ciconiidae), easily identifiable due to their characteristic  pink tertial feathers.

The Painted stork is distributed throughout the wetlands of the plains of tropical Asia south of the Himalayas in the Indian Subcontinent, extending into Southeast Asia.

Contrary to what is usual with Ravi's covers, these three do not bear the usual  Central Post Office of Colombo postmark, although I cannot identify the place of postage, due to the day stamp being writen in the beautiful but for me undeciphrable Sinhala script.