Suricates - South Africa

If there's a top 10 of the most funny and cute animals, suricates are probably there. Is impossible not to like them.

These gregarious animals are often seen in groups, and several families may live together in a large community. Squirrel-sized meerkats are mongooses famed for their upright posture. They often stand on their rear legs and gaze alertly over the southern African plains where they live. Mothers can even nurse their young while standing.

Photo by Nigel Dennis * Art Publishers

Meerkats (also called suricates) work together in numbers. A few will typically serve as lookouts, watching the skies for birds of prey, such as hawks and eagles, that can snatch them from the ground. A sharp, shrill call is the signal for all to take cover. While a few individuals guard the group, the rest busy themselves foraging for the foods that make up their varied diet. Meerkats will eat insects, lizards, birds, and fruit. When hunting small game, they work together and communicate with purring sounds. Meerkats are good hunters and are sometimes tamed for use as rodent-catchers.

Meerkat groups utilize several different burrows and move from one to another. Each burrow is an extensive tunnel-and-room system that remains cool even under the broiling African sun. Females give birth to two to four young each year in one of the group's burrows. Fathers and siblings help to raise meerkat young, teaching them to play and forage and alerting them to the ever present danger from above. Young meerkats are so fearful of predatory birds that even airplanes will send them diving for cover. - in: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/meerkat/

Cheetahs - South Africa

The cheetah is the world's fastest land mammal. With acceleration that would leave most automobiles in the dust, a cheetah can go from 0 to 60 miles an hour in only three seconds. These big cats are quite nimble at high speed and can make quick and sudden turns in pursuit of prey.

Photo: Denny Allen © Wild Treks

Before unleashing their speed, cheetahs use exceptionally keen eyesight to scan their grassland environment for signs of prey—especially antelope and hares. This big cat is a daylight hunter that benefits from stealthy movement and a distinctive spotted coat that allows it to blend easily into high, dry grasses.

When the moment is right a cheetah will sprint after its quarry and attempt to knock it down. Such chases cost the hunter a tremendous amount of energy and are usually over in less than a minute. If successful, the cheetah will often drag its kill to a shady hiding place to protect it from opportunistic animals that sometimes steal a kill before the cheetah can eat. Cheetahs need only drink once every three to four days.

Photo by Martin Harvey * Art Publishers

Female cheetahs typically have a litter of three cubs and live with them for one and a half to two years. Young cubs spend their first year learning from their mother and practicing hunting techniques with playful games. Male cheetahs live alone or in small groups, often with their littermates.

Most wild cheetahs are found in eastern and southwestern Africa. These populations are under pressure as the wide-open grasslands they favor are disappearing at the hands of human settlers. - in: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/c/cheetah/

Mount Hutt - New Zealand

Third and last New Zealand card sent by Andrzej. 

The New Zealand Souvenir Co. Ltd 

Mount Hutt rises to the west of the Canterbury Plains in the South Island of New Zealand, above the braided upper reaches of the Rakaia River, and 80 kilometres west of Christchurch. Its summit is 2190 metres above sea level.

The mountain is home to a commercial alpine ski area with the largest skiable area in the South Island (3.65 square kilometres), and a vertical height of 683 metres. - in: wikipedia

Milford Sound - New Zealand

Located in the south west of New Zealand’s South Island, Milford Sound sits within Fiordland National Park, part of Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site. 

Produced by Colorview Publication 1997 Ltd

Bounded by steep cliffs and dense rainforest, Milford Sound is by far the best known of all of the fiords in New Zealand, and the only one that can be accessed by road. Rain or shine, Milford Sound continues to captivate even the most experienced traveller. At the pinnacle of Milford Sound is the iconic Mitre Peak - standing a proud 1,692 metres above sea level, it is certainly an impressive sight to behold.  It is approximately 16km from the head of the fiord to the open sea, which means visitors can comfortably travel the length of the fiord to open ocean and return on one of the many cruise options. - in: http://www.milford-sound.co.nz/about-milford-sound/

Franz Josef Glacier - New Zealand

The spectacular New Zealand landscapes are famous all over the world and some of those landscapes include glaciers. Franz Josef Glacier is one of New Zealand’s largest and most-visited ones. 

Produced by Colorview Publication 2004 Ltd

Franz Josef Glacier area has some of the most spectacular scenery in New Zealand. Just six kilometres from the centre of the village, Franz Josef Glacier(Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere) descends from the tops of the Southern Alps (Kā Tiritiri o te Moana) into rainforest close to sea level.  This provides a very rare opportunity to experience a dynamic glacier in a temperate environment, within easy driving and walking distance from the main highway.

Franz Josef is the name of both the glacier and the nearby village, though the Maori names are different.  The small but lively Franz Josef Waiau village is surrounded by lush rainforest with the high snow-capped Alps above.

Within a short distance of the village are a number of options for taking in the natural attractions including a cycleway, walks of varying length, guided walks, kayaking, and action adventures like rafting or skydiving.  You can take a visit to the white heron colony or the world’s rarest kiwi. - in: http://www.glaciercountry.co.nz/explore-our-regions/franz-josef-glacier/

Sultan Abdul Samad building - Kuala Lumpur

The GTKY topic doesn't exist anymore but some of its members still keep in touch and meet. Last October Ana and Lyan met in Kuala Lumpur and it was a perfect occasion to send some cards to old friends. Thank you both. 

The Sultan Abdul Samad Building is among Kuala Lumpur’s earliest Moorish-style buildings. It is set to the east of Merdeka Square (Dataran Merdeka) and the Royal Selangor Club, across from Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin. It was built in 1897 and was named after the reigning sultan of Selangor at the time. The distinguished landmark originally served as the secretariat for the colonial British administration. Designed by A. C. Norman, the historically-significant building used to house the superior courts of Malaysia: the Federal Court of Malaysia, the Court of Appeals and the High Court of Malaya, before they moved to Putrajaya. - in: http://www.kuala-lumpur.ws/attractions/sultan-abdul-samad-building.htm

Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary - Philippines

I had once cards from all the Philippines UNESCO sites but in 2014 Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary was added to the WHS list and I had to wait 2 years to get a card from there. I got it thanks to Jan. 

Photos by Boj Capati

Forming a mountain ridge running north-south along the Pujada Peninsula in the south-eastern part of the Eastern Mindanao Biodiversity Corridor, the Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary has an elevation range of 75–1,637 m above sea level and provides critical habitat for a range of plant and animal species. The property showcases terrestrial and aquatic habitats at different elevations, and includes threatened and endemic flora and fauna species, eight of which are found only at Mount Hamiguitan. These include critically endangered trees, plants and the iconic Philippine eagle and Philippine cockatoo. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1403