Haggard’s Oribi (Ourebia haggardi)

Haggard’s Oribi (Ourebia haggardi)

Year
1955
Face Value
0.35
Mint Value
-
Used Value
-
Print Run
-
Themes
Animals

Catalogs References

Michel
IT-SO 306
Yvert & Tellier
IT-SO PA53
Stanley Gibbons
SO 291

Technical Details

Colors
Multicolor
Perforation
14
Printing
Photogravure
Printers
IPS Off. Carte Valori (Officina Governativa Carte Valori)
Haggard’s Oribi (Ourebia haggardi, or Ourebia ourebi haggardi) is a slender, graceful dwarf antelope in the family Bovidae, historically distributed through the coastal grasslands, dunes, and open bushlands of southern Somalia and coastal Kenya. Distinct from inland oribi by its slightly larger build, sandy-fawn coat, and heavily ridged, upright horns in males, the species has evolved exceptional speed and agile jumping abilities to evade predators across open savannah and scrub habitats.

As an endemic inhabitant of the coastal strip of the Horn of Africa, Haggard’s Oribi represents an important indicator species for the health of regional coastal ecosystems. Featured in Somalia's wildlife and airmail postage issues, the stamp portrait depicts the alert head of the antelope with its large, expressive dark eyes and slender, ringed horns against a vibrant green background, emphasizing the preservation and celebration of Somalia’s unique wildlife heritage.