POSTCARDS N.249/250 - SRI LANKA

Postcard dated of 19th September; received on the 30th August 2026

Postcard image: Fauna of Minneriya National Park - Sri Lankan Sloth Bear / Sri lankan Jakalllow striped chevrotain

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Ravi kindly sends me another two postcards from the set issued in connection with the Minneriya National Park  stamp issue dated of  26JUN2025.  Bohoma Sthuthi, friend. 

Sri Lankan jakal (Canis aureus naria)

Sri Lankan sloth bear (Melursus ursinus inomatus)

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

On 26JUN2025 Sri Lanka Post issues a very beautiful set of 10 stamps, all of the same denomination (50 Rupees) dedicated to the wild fauna of  Minneriya National Park (cf. covers #614/5/6)  and I presume postcards of all the animals depicted in the stamps were also issued with a view to the creation of maxicards.

The cards were thus mailed with the corresponding stamps:

- 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. 

- 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.

Postage on both cards was completed with a 20 rupee stamp with a image of a Pale Ceylon line blue, (Nacaduba sinhala), a butterfly of the Lycaenidae family, endemic to Sri Lanka. 

This stamp is part of the 12 stamp issue dated of 01DEC2022, themed on Butterflies of Sri Lanka, that Ravi had also sent me and was the subject of posts regarding covers # 343/4/5.

The postcards were sent from the Cinnamon Gardens Post Office at Colombo, whose beautiful building dates of 1905.