Philatelic bureaus of the world

Friday, May 17, 2019

Animals and spices of Tanzania



A cover from Tanzania 🇹🇿 

Wild animals of Tanzania - Migrating Gnus
Date of issue : 31-08-2009

Gnus, or wildebeests, are large African antelopes. Gnus (pronounced like "news") are closely related to cattle, goats and sheep. These animals look like thin, muscular cows with large, sloping backs, curved horns and striped bodies. They also have manes and bushy beards. Wildebeest is an Afrikaans name that means "wild beast." Gnu is a derivation of the name used by native Africans. The names are used interchangeably. A gathering of gnus is called a herd. 

Gnus are found in one very specific spot on Earth: southern and eastern Africa, from Kenya to Namibia, according to the ADW. They prefer savannahs and plains, but they can be found in a variety of habitats, including dense bush and open woodland flood plains. The largest populations are found in the Serengeti in Tanzania and Kenya. 

When the rainy season ends in the plains, herds migrate to the savannahs, where there is plenty of water and food. This migration usually takes place in May or June. Around 1.2 million wildebeests join hundreds of thousands of other animals, including zebras and gazelles, in the world's largest terrestrial migration, according to National Geographic. The migrating herds may travel hundreds of miles to find food.

During this migration, about 6,250 gnus, or 0.5 percent of the total herd, drown while crossing the Mara River. However, there is a silver lining to these deaths: The decaying bodies feed local scavengers, including vultures and fish, and leave behind nutrients and minerals in the ecosystem. 

Wild animals of Tanzania - a pensive water buck 
Date of issue : 31-08-2009

The waterbuck is a large antelope found widely in sub-Saharan Africa. The Defassa Waterbuck is considered threatened in its native land. Their long, spiral horns curve backward, then forward. Only the males have horns, which can grow up to 22-39″ long. Males typically weigh 437–578 lbs and females 355–472 lbs. The coat color varies from brown to grey. As their name suggests, they have a close connection with water. Waterbuck always live near a body of water and use it to escape from a range of predators, which include lions, cheetahs, hyenas, and African hunting dogs. They have an oily secretion that covers their coat and doesn’t smell pleasant. This helps them to find a mate and makes their coat waterproof. They live in herds of 6-30 animals, with one male who defends his territory. Female babies stay with the herd, but males leave at the age of about 8 months and live in a herd with other young males.



Another cover from Tanzania 🇹🇿 

Spice tree of Zanzibar - Cardamom 
Date of issue : 17-05-2018

The green cardamom that grows in Zanzibar is one of the most expensive spices by weight in the world. During good rains, the farmers regularly harvest it throughout a year but the peak season of harvesting occurs during the two rainy periods: from March to April and from October to November.

This spice has peppery and citrusy taste, sometimes with a hint of sweet flavour. Usually. it is used fresh, because cardamom quickly loses its flavour and essential oils. Similar to Indians, Zanzibar's people commonly used it in cuisine to flavour pilau and chai. It is worth trying this spice for its health benefits to counteract digestive problems or to treat stomach pain, nausea, heartburn, loss of appetite, and much more. Green cardamom is an ideal antioxidant containing lots of vitamins, phytonutrients, and essential oils.

Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous region of Tanzania. It is composed of the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, 25–50 kilometres (16–31 mi) off the coast of the mainland, and consists of many small islands and two large ones: Unguja (the main island, referred to informally as Zanzibar) and Pemba Island. The capital is Zanzibar City, located on the island of Unguja. 

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