U.S. #5799o
2023 Mexican Gray Wolf – Endangered Species

• Part of the Endangered Species set celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act
• Design pictures a photograph by Joel Sartore’s famous “Photo Ark” project

Stamp Category:  Commemorative
Set:  Endangered Species
Value:  63¢, First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue:  May 19, 2023
First Day City:  Wall, South Dakota
Quantity Issued:  30,000,000
Printed by:  Banknote Corporation of America
Printing Method:  Offset, Flexographic
Format:  Panes of 20
Tagging:  Phosphor tagged paper

Why the stamp was issued:  To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act and the endangered Mexican gray wolf.

About the stamp design:  Like the others in the set, the photograph on the stamp is from Joel Sartore’s famous “Photo Ark” project.  They are among over 13,000 the National Geographic photographer has taken in his quest to shoot photos of as many animal species as possible.

Special design details:  Stamp includes “Endangered” and the common name of the species.

First Day City:  First Day of Issue Ceremony was in Wall, South Dakota, at the National Grasslands Visitor Center.  The center encourages visitors to see the 20 National Grasslands and Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie.  These habitats are home to the black-footed ferret, one of the endangered species pictured in the set of stamps.

About the Endangered Species set:  The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) was signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 28.  The legislation “protect[s] species and the ecosystems upon which they depend,” with a goal “to halt and reverse the trend toward species extinction, whatever the cost.”  The ESA is jointly administered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service.

In 2023, the US Postal Service celebrated the 50th anniversary of the ESA with a set of 20 Forever stamps.  The stamps were issued on Endangered Species Day, which lands on the third Friday in May.  Each design pictures a different endangered species, representing only a small handful of the over 1,300 plants and animals protected under the ESA as of 2023.  The images used for the stamps were part of Joel Sartore’s “Photo Ark.”  Partnering with National Geographic, he set out to capture 20,000 species living in zoos and wildlife sanctuaries around the world.  Together, they are determined to intimately picture each species in order to educate and bring awareness to their preservation.  Sartore calls his work as a photographer a “mission to document endangered species and landscapes in order to show a world worth saving.”

Thanks to the ESA, many plant and animal species that were once endangered have made a comeback.  With the continued effort of conservationists, volunteers, and increased awareness, even more species can make their way back from the brink of extinction one day.

History the stamp represents:  The Mexican gray wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) (or lobo in Spanish) is a subspecies of gray wolf found only in southeastern Arizona, southern New Mexico, and northern Mexico.  It once was also found in western Texas, but has disappeared from this range.  According to experts, Mexican gray wolves were most likely some of the first gray wolves in North America.  Today, they are the most endangered gray wolf subspecies in North America.

Mexican gray wolves are the smallest North American gray wolf subspecies.  They can be distinguished by their smaller, narrower skulls and darker, yellowish-gray fur which includes black markings over their backs and tails.

In the mid-1900s, the Mexican gray wolf was hunted to near extinction in the wild.  In 1976, the species became protected under the Endangered Species Act.  From 1977 to 1980, all remaining Mexican gray wolves were captured in order to ensure the survival of the few remaining individuals.  Four males and one pregnant female were used to start a captive breeding program.  In 1998, they began releasing individuals back into the wild in New Mexico and Arizona.  Since then, the population has nearly doubled.  With continued work and a little bit of luck, the subspecies’ recovery will continue in the future.