WWF - Uganda 1983 (African Elephant)

The Republic of Uganda, the “Pearl of Africa,” is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered on the north by South Sudan, on the east by Kenya, on the south by Tanzania, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The southern part of the country includes a substantial portion of Lake Victoria, shared with Kenya and Tanzania. Beginning in the late 1800s, the area was ruled as a colony by the British. Uganda gained independence from Britain on 09 October 1962.

Official WWF FDCs for the 1983 Uganda African Elephant issue (5c and 10c)

Uganda is Africa condensed. Uganda is where the East African Savannah meets the West African jungle. Uganda is home to the highest mountain range in Africa, the Mountains of the Moon in the Rwenzori National Park. It is the source of the mighty Nile. It has the highest concentration of primates on earth, including the majestic mountain gorilla, one of the rarest animals on the planet.  

In 1983, Uganda partnered with the WWF to issue stamps depicting the African Bush Elephant (Loxodonta africana).

Official WWF FDCs for the 1983 Uganda African Elephant issue (30c and 70c)

African elephants are the elephants of the genus Loxodonta (Greek for 'oblique-sided tooth'), consisting of two extant species: the African bush elephant and the smaller African forest elephant. The African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana) is the larger of the two species of African elephant. Both it and the African forest elephant have usually been classified as a single species, known simply as the African elephant, but recent evidence has seen the forest elephant classified as a distinct species. Some authorities still consider the currently available evidence as insufficient for splitting African elephants into two species.

Official WWF Maximum Cards for the 1983 Uganda African Elephant issue (5c and 10c)

African elephants are the heaviest land animal, and the second tallest in the Animal Kingdom. They have enormous ears, each measuring about four feet (120-125 cm) across. They have a unique nose that is simply a long, boneless trunk extending from the upper lip. The trunk has two opposing extensions at its end, different from the Asian elephant, which only has one. The trunk is used for communication and handling objects and food. Their incisor teeth develop into tusks about 8 feet long and grow throughout an elephant's lifetime. They occur in both males and females and are used in fights and for marking, feeding, and digging. The only other teeth they have are four molars which are replaced three times throughout their lives after the previous set wears down.

Official WWF Maximum Cards for the 1983 Uganda African Elephant issue (30c and 70c)

Poaching for ivory and meat has traditionally been the major cause of the species' decline. Although illegal hunting remains a significant factor in some areas, particularly in Central Africa, currently the most important perceived threat is the loss and fragmentation of habitat caused by ongoing human population expansion and rapid land conversion. It was considered as an "endangered" species by the IUCN prior to 2004 and is now classified as "vulnerable."