The four stamps will feature griffon vulture, one of the most endangered species in Croatia.
Croatian Post, in cooperation with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), will issue four special postage stamps with the motif of the griffon vulture in various poses. The series of stamps will be released on Monday, reports politikaplus.com on January 21, 2017.
The author of the series is Borut Benčina, a graphic artist from Zagreb, while the author of the photos is Hrvoje Grgić, a photographer from Zagreb. There will be 200,000 copies of each stamp issued. This commemorative issue of the Croatian Post includes four stamps, and each carries a nominal value of 4.60 kuna. The stamps are issued in a common sheet of 16 stamps, and there is also a First Day Cover (FDC).
Griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) is considered as a bird of prey, even though it mainly eats carrion and almost never attacks live prey. It is an important link in ecosystem, because it cleans nature and prevents the spread of infection. At the same time, it is one of the most fascinating and largest flying birds, with a wingspan of up to 2.80 metres and weighing up to 14 kilos. It sails on air currents, sometimes with speeds exceeding 160 km/h.
A hundred years ago, the griffon vulture could be seen in most parts of Croatia, but today they live only in the Kvarner region, where they nestle on vertical cliffs. After reaching maturity, they leave their colony, but at the age of five they return to the Kvarner, find a partner and remain permanently living on the islands of the Kvarner region.
Griffon vulture is an endangered and strictly protected species. In Croatia, there are less than 100 pairs remaining. In the nature, the griffon vultures lives up to 30 years, but in captivity some live as long as 60 years. In Croatia, the protection of the griffon vulture is led by the Griffon Association, in cooperation with the Ornithological Station of the Croatian Academy of Arts and Sciences in Rijeka.
