New Delhi : Two special covers featuring the red panda and the house sparrow were released today by the Department of Posts, Delhi Postal Circle and WWF-India at an event held during Chitrali, the district level philatelic exhibition hosted by the New Delhi South West Division of the Postal Department.
As species of concern, the red panda and the house sparrow are both in urgent need of attention, which these special covers hope to address. The red panda (Ailurusfulgens) is a small arboreal mammal found in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, North-West Bengal and parts of Meghalaya. It is also the state animal of Sikkim. Habitat degradation due to excessive extraction of firewood is the biggest threat to the long-term survival of the species.
The house sparrow (Passer domesticus), also the state bird of Delhi, was until recently, widespread in India. It is now believed to be fast depleting in India for various reasons ranging fromthe destruction of its habitat to limited availability of insect food in urban areas for its young, and microwave pollution from mobile phone towers. An effort at all levels is required for the conservation of both species.
Speaking on the occasion of the release, Ravi Singh, Secretary General and CEO, WWF-India said, “ The red panda is an important part of the biodiversity of the ecosystem of the Khangchendzonga landscape and reflects the health of the entire ecosystem. Similarly, the house sparrow is an important indicator of the ecosystem that it inhabits. These special covers, we hope, will draw attention to the need for the conservation of both species.”
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