Tokelau first day cover

Press, 10 November 1986, Page 7

Tokelau first day cover

Very - much - alive “moas” feature on the latest five cent stamp of Tokelau.

Tokelau, a group of three small Pacific atolls, is part of New Zealand, anu its latest stamps will be issued by the Post Office on December 3.

The six stamps all depict animals — the coconut crab, pigs, chickens, the reef Hawksbill turtle, goats and ducks. On each stamp is the Tokelau name for the animal, and for the chickens the word is “moa.” ’ The issue is Mr Maurice Conley’s tenth design of Tokelau stamps, and first day covers can be ordered from the Post Office philatelic bureau.

The six animals on the stamps form an important part of the islanders’ diet.

Both coconut crabs and turtles are regarded as delicacies. The crabs weigh up io three kilograms and crawl up coconut palms to feed.

Even more familiar animals have their exotic habits in Tokelau. Lack of livestock feed forces pigs to take to the ocean to nose for shellfish.