EARTH DAY

Motif: WOLF (Latin:Canis lupus) Twenty four years ago, a group of environmentaly aware scientists from Stanford University, USA, launched a large-scale campaign "Earth Day", aimed at saving the planet Earth and awakening the environmental conciousness of mankind. The campaign was joined by other colleges, schools and millions of people throughout the States. The highlight of the campagn was the " Earth Day" which has ever since been commemorated internationally on April 22. "Earth Day" is not a holiday. It is meant to make all people understand and join in the efforts to preserve and protect the endangered vegetable and animal species in the ecosystem which supports mankind itself. The wolf is an animal which belongs to the family of canidea, the order of carnivora. The species is spread all over the northern hemisphere of our planet. The situation in Croatia is no good, we estimate the number of wolves in our country is less than 50. Only in the period between 1953 and 1972, 5206 wolves were killed in strong anti-wolf campaigns. Fortunately, the attitude to this animal has changed; it is not as dangerous as commonly supposed. Large-scale hunting, when thousands of wolves were killed, is over. Let us hope that in 1994, the Year of the Wolf, we shall again hear its howling in the forests of Croatia. The Croatian Post and Telecommunications issued a First Day Cover, a First Day Sheet and a Maximum Card.