Conservation of Wild Life in India 1.10.1962

The Indian rhinoceros lives primarily in northern India and Nepal. These massive beasts have some noticeable physical differences from their African relatives. Their segmented hide looks like a formidable coat of natural body armor. It functions a bit like one also: Flexible skin between the thicker hide "plates" allows them to shift as the rhinoceros moves.
As their Latin name Rhinoceros unicornis suggests, Indian rhinos have only one horn.

The prominent horn for which these rhinos are so well known has also been their downfall. Many animals have been killed for this hard, hair-like growth, which is revered for medicinal use in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. The horn is also valued in North Africa and the Middle East as an ornamental dagger handle. There are only about 2,000 Indian rhinos left in the wild.

It was mainly due to increased poaching of the Rhino that the Postal Department decided to issue the Rhino stamp with the special cancellation appealing for Conservation of Wild Life in India.