Endangered Wildlife

This section on endangered wildlife will cover species from a few countries, but certainly not all those listed as endangered (or threatened, or at risk). So far it is about animals only, but I am aware that plants are also threatened.

It seems that most of the species at risk have become so because of human activities, be it clearing forests, or mining endeavours, or over-hunting / fishing. Some wildlife was restricted in nature before human activities, and some were not noticed until they were in dire straits.

There are classic cases of animals being hunted into extinction, such as the Dodo bird in Madagascar; there are also cases of human intervention to help species return from the brink, such as the Whooping Cranes in North America. Small population numbers makes them endangered wildlife.

Sorry, there are no stamps about the Dodo, but there are Whooping Crane stamps.

Most of the following are

Canadian Stamps

• #353 - At the time of issue, the known population of Whooping Cranes in the wild was only 21 birds; they are up to (in 2007) about 370 wild ones now & 175 in captivity. They nest in northern Canada and winter in Texas.
• US #1098 - This issue from 1978 is entitled "Wildlife Conservation", at 3¢. It shows 2 chicks and 2 adult birds. Adults stand 45" tall and have a wingspan of 90".

Endangered Wildlife was a series spanning several years, which highlighted some of the endangered species in Canada (but not all). All but one of these stamps had the Latin name for the animal, without the common name.

Eastern Cougar – Puma concolor (Latin name is on stamp) – The Eastern cougar was thought to be extinct in eastern Ontario, but recent DNA evidence (2007) found in “scat” (droppings) prove it has been roaming around the north shore of Lake Erie. Another population of cougars is found in western Canada. But the small numbers keep them in the Endangered Wildlife list. Adult males can be 1.8 to 2.4 m long and weigh 45 to 90 kg. That’s up to 9 ft nose to tail and 200 lb. Their favourite prey is deer, but they will take smaller animals too.

• #732 - Cougar 12¢ issued in 1977. This stamp was the first of a set issued as singles and pairs for 5 years, to bring attention to Endangered Wildlife. At the time of issue, there were believed to be only about 100 cougars living in New Brunswick.
• #2122 - 50¢ from 2005, which was issued se-tenant with a stamp showing the Amur leopard, a big cat found in Korea, eastern Russia and China (also on the Endangered Wildlife list). This was a joint issue with the People’s Republic of China. Canada’s first-ever shaped perforation was the maple leaf shape between these 2 stamps. See " Large Mammals " for the pair with the Amur Leopard.

Peregrine Falcon – Falco peregrinus - Falcons are streamlined and have long pointed wings and narrow tails. They rarely soar; they fly with fast wing beats and can dive at about 200 miles an hour.

• #752 - 12¢ from 1978. The peregrine is rare in its local territory, but migrates widely and is found all over the world (except New Zealand). Birds of all sizes are its prey, from ducks to sparrows and warblers. Being a predator, it is vulnerable to pesticides and became endangered when DDT was in use. Although it has made a recovery in recent years, it is still on the Endangered Wildlife list in much of the world. But it has been removed from the list in the USA.
• #1699 was released in 2005 as a high value $2.00 stamp. Like the Loon #1697 above, its Latin name was written in microprinting in the top right under 'Canada'.

Below are 2 more Endangered Wildlife stamps, at 17¢, the first from 1979 and the second from 1980:

• #813 - Spiny Soft-shelled Turtle, whose Latin name, Trionyx spinifera, printed on the stamp, has been changed to Apalone spinifera. The environmental threat to this species is toxic chemicals in the Great Lakes region.

  It is a large fresh water species of soft-shelled turtle with a wide range across the USA, southern Canada (Ontario & Quebec) and Mexico as well. The females are larger than the males, with a shell of 14” length. It feeds on crayfish along the bottom of streams and ponds.

For other turtles and tortoises that are endangered, go to Turtles.

• #854 - The Greater Prairie Chicken, Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus, members of the grouse family, were native to the tall grass prairies. This bird has become extremely rare due to habitat loss, as well as hunting by settlers. It was listed as extirpated in its Canadian range in 2000, and is still on the Endangered Wildlife list for the USA.

  The males perform courtship displays when the females visit the breeding grounds in spring. The stamp shows two male greater prairie chickens, in characteristic courtship display before a hen seen in the background.

• #853 - Atlantic Whitefish – Coregonus canadensis - The Atlantic whitefish belongs to the salmon family, but is restricted to southern Nova Scotia. Hatched in freshwater, they spend their adult lives in the sea, and return to the rivers for spawning in the fall. Because of their limited range, they are noted on the Endangered Wildlife list. Adults can be from 150 to 400 mm in length (6” to 16”), but larger ones have been found.
• #1869 - Blue Whale – Balaenoptera musculus – The largest animal that has ever lived, it can be up to 33 m (110 ft) long and 181 metric tons (200 tons). It is a baleen whale, which sieves krill, small squid and fish from the sea water. Its distribution is world wide, but it was hunted almost to extinction until recently. It is still listed as “Endangered”.The 46¢ stamp was issued in 2000, one of 4 whales in se-tenant arrangement. Its colour on the stamp is grayish, but can have blue shades too.

Bowhead whales were hunted so much that their population is less than one fifth of the estimated numbers of 200 years ago, because they were the “right” kind of whale. They had so much blubber that they didn’t sink when harpooned, making them a favourite of whale hunters.

The large amount of blubber in their bodies, which could be rendered down into oil, was used as lamp oil and candle wax. Baleen found in the mouth, which whales use to filter out krill from sea water, was used in buggy whips and women’s corsets.

• #814 -17¢ issued in 1979 – Bowhead Whales, Balaena mysticetus, live in the Arctic Ocean, and do not migrate for reproduction. Adults reach fifty-eight feet or more. They have no dorsal fin, and are dark coloured.
• #1870 – 46¢, one of 4 se-tenant stamps of whales in a set issued in 2000.
• Australia #822 – Northern Right Whale - Eubalaena japonica – This is the North Pacific Right Whale (there is an Atlantic Right Whale). It is a very large baleen whale species that was common in the North Pacific until 1840, but now extremely rare due to 19th and 20th century whaling. There is concern that its numbers are now too low for recovery, and that extinction may be inevitable. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, the North Pacific Right Whale is the most endangered whale on Earth.

Go to Sea Mammals for other whales that are not endangered.

The following 2 stamps were issued together in 1981.

• #883 - Vancouver Island Marmot - Marmota vancouverensis, issued in 17¢ face value in 1981. This endangered wildlife species lives only on Vancouver Island, in alpine and sub-alpine areas. At present only 50 to 100 survive. It eats leaves, flowers and fruits, and hibernates approximately eight months of the year.
• #884 - Wood Bison - Bison bison athabascae - Issued in 1981 at 35¢ face, this is the only stamp in this series that does not have the Latin name on it. This is a larger, darker, and woollier northern subspecies of the plains bison or buffalo. They prefer open boreal and aspen forests. Reduced by hunting to less than 250 animals in 1900, bison in the wild are up to just over 3500 now (2007), and still listed as “Threatened”. Although interbreeding with the plains bison almost wiped out the pure bred herds of wood bison, it is estimated that nearly 800 wood bison now exist, in Northwest Territories and Alberta. Not a huge population, and therefore listed as endangered wildlife.

Last comes the Peary caribou.

• #1180 - Peary Caribou - Rangifer tarandus pearyi - Found in Nunavut and Northwest territories, they are the smallest of the North American caribou, and do not migrate more than 100 miles (150 km) from summer to winter grounds. Small population numbers makes them endangered wildlife. This 80¢ definitive was issued in 1990.

Australian Stamps

On the first set, #1241-46, 45¢ value, from 1992, each stamp has the slogan “Threatened Species” on the bottom edge. These are self adhesive, perf 11 ½. Note: The same images were issued in a block of 6 “lick & stick”, as #1235 a-f, perf 14 x 14 ½, at the same time.

No scientific names are used on the stamps.

• #1241 – Parma wallaby - Macropus parma – Believed to be extinct by 1900, a small population was found in 1965, and since then, other small populations have also been discovered. It is nocturnal and almost solitary, hiding in the underbrush. Related to the big red kangaroo, its body is only .5m long, with a tail the same length. Their numbers have always been low, and loss of habitat could affect them.
• #1242 – Ghost bat - Macroderma gigas – These bats are threatened due to loss of habitat when their caves are used for mining, or even tourism. It is the only carnivorous bat in Australia, eating insects, frogs, lizards and other small animals. Small population numbers makes them endangered wildlife.
• #1243 – Long-tailed dunnart - Sminthopsis longicaudata – These are marsupials the size of a mouse, with a great ability to jump; overall length is 260 – 306 mm (1” to 1 ¼” roughly) and weight is 15 to 20 grams (less than 1 oz). The tail is 2/3 of the total length. They eat ants, beetles and centipedes. Known as threatened locally, they are not considered in danger in the larger picture.

Second row:

• #1244 – Little pygmy possum – a marsupial, but no other information is available under that name.
• #1245 – Dusky hopping mouse - Notomys fuscus – a rodent native to Australia (not marsupial), it has lost territory and is restricted to small pockets of desert areas in central Australia. It is about twice the size of a house mouse.
• #1246 – Squirrel glider - Petaurus norfolcensis – Part of the possum family (marsupial), these animals are arboreal, living in groups in trees, and eating fruits and insects. They glide for 15 m from tree to tree.

Scott catalog lists more in this series, but none of them are really threatened or endangered, so I have not added them.

• US #2510 – Sea Otter - Enhydra lutris is a sea mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. Adults weigh between 14 and 45 kg (30 to 100 lb), making them among the smallest marine mammals. Otters prey mostly upon marine invertebrates such as sea urchins, various molluscs and crustaceans, and some species of fish. It uses rocks to dislodge prey and to open shells, making it one of the few mammal species to use tools. Instead of fat for insulation, they have an exceptionally thick coat of fur, the densest in the animal kingdom. Because it was hunted for its fur, populations were greatly reduced. Now it has covered about 2/3 of previous range, but numbers are still low. The sea otter remains classified as an endangered species.
• USSR #3883 – 6k - showing the otter again.

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