International Year of Biodiversity (2) - South Africa

From top to bottom :
Lilac-breasted Roller (東非佛法僧) ; Southern-white Rhinoceros (南方白犀牛)
South Africa (2010)
11th March, 2010. Henley on Klip, Gauteng

South Africa also participated issue the joint theme International Year of Biodiversity and released on March. Stamps feature 4 different species to be found in South Africa (actually it is better than Portugal one). Above cover, really sent on the day of issue from Henley on Klip, Gauteng. But the unclear postmark shown the day 11th March 2010 ! Earlier one day than the formal day of issue. The cover selected two of the set, which featuring Lilac-breasted Roller and Southern-white Rhinoceros. Lilac-breasted Roller was presented as before, it is a common colourful bird in this country, in the right hand corner also features a Baobab (猴麵包樹) ; another one, rhinoceros has two sub-species of rhinoceros, they are Northern-white Rhinoceros (北方白犀牛) and Southern-white Rhinoceros. Nowadays more than 90 precent rhinoceros are Southern-white Rhinoceros, they mostly live in South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Rhinoceros is an endangered species, as the illegal hunting for the valuable horn.

When close up to the stamp, there have couple of oxpeckers lay in rhinoceros body, they are Red-billed Oxpecker (紅嘴啄牛鳥). The stamp also indicated the bird name, however the illustration seems wrongly with Yellow-billed Oxpeckers (黃嘴啄牛鳥). Oxpeckers are also commonly to be found in sub-Sahara area of African countries, it mostly lay in the bodies of ox, rhinoceros and other large mammal.