Celebrate the bond between animal mothers and their babies by taking home this beautiful souvenir sheet Official First Day Cover (OFDC) from the Animal Mothers and Babies stamp issue.

About the issue

Parenting in the wild is a tough job. Some animal mothers and fathers are always on duty – feeding their babies and protecting them from predators. In their aquatic habitats, where threats can come from both above and below, the sea otter (Enhydra lutris) and the red-necked grebe (Podiceps grisegena) serve as floating havens for their vulnerable offspring.

Canada Post has a longstanding tradition of showcasing Canadian wildlife and using stamps to raise awareness of the impacts of human activity on animal populations. These two species face many threats posed by humans.

About the sea otter

Mature female sea otters give birth to a single pup every year for life. The sole caregiver, mother otters float on their backs to feed, groom and cradle their young. The species, once hunted for its luxurious fur, was extirpated from British Columbia but has made a gradual comeback since being reintroduced. It is currently listed as being of special concern in Canada.

About the red-necked grebe

Red-necked grebes take turns incubating their eggs and carrying the chicks, which climb onto their parents’ backs immediately after hatching. The monogamous pairs sometimes divide the brood to share feeding responsibilities. Found across most of Canada, these water birds winter off the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. Like sea otters, they face threats such as oil spills, as well as loss of their freshwater nesting habitat from other human disturbances.

About the OFDC

Designer Meredith MacKinlay, of Halifax-based Egg Design, chose embroidery as the basis for the design because of the association that fabrics have with feelings of homeyness and familial love – and because needlework lends texture to the animals’ fur and feathers. Temagami Anishinaabe artist Caroline Brown created the images on the stamps using a combination of traditional embroidery and beadwork.

The cancellation date of April 18 was chosen in advance of Earth Day (April 22), when Canadians are encouraged to take positive action on environmental issues, including the impacts of climate change and pollution on species such as those featured on these stamps. Because they celebrate the bond between animal mothers and their young, the stamps were also issued several weeks ahead of Mother’s Day. The cancellation location is Vancouver, since British Columbia is home to Canada’s only remaining sea otter population.

Product # 404249144

Animal Mothers and Babies: Souvenir sheet Official First Day Cover