2025 First-Class Forever Stamp - Baby Wild Animals: Skunk

US 6013
2025 Skunk

• Part of Baby Wild Animals set featuring 10 animals
• Each stamp includes elements of animal’s habitat
  
  

Stamp Category:  Definitive
Set: Baby Wild Animals
Value:  73¢, First-Class Mail (Forever)
First Day of Issue:  May 23, 2025
First Day City:  Aurora, Colorado
Quantity Issued:  16,000,000
Printed by:  Banknote Corporation of America
Printing Method:  Offset
Format:  Double-sided Booklet of 20
Perforations: Die Cut

Why the stamp was issued:  This stamp is part of a set of 10 stamps highlighting baby animals with elements of their natural surroundings.

About the stamp design:  Each design features a different baby wild animal.  Tracy Walker created digital illustrations using solid background colors and simple depictions of each animal.  Elements of their environment were added, such as flowers, leaves, or water.  The animals shown are: fox, owl, deer, seal, rabbit, raccoon, bear, skunk, bobcat, and chipmunk. 

First Day City: The stamps were dedicated at the Rocky Mountain Stamp Show in Aurora, Colorado

About the Wild Baby Animals set: Every spring, a new generation of wild animals begins its journey.  Learning to survive in a world of challenges, they are discovering the skills and instincts that will shape their lives.
In the warm daylight, a fawn cautiously steps from its hidden mother, its spotted coat camouflaging it against the dappled forest floor.  Nearby, baby foxes playfully tussle, learning the art of stalking prey.  Baby rabbits nibble on fresh green shoots while a chipmunk scampers up a tree, its cheek pouches filled with seeds.  At the water’s edge, a young seal explores the shore, its small flippers glistening in the light, ready to test the cool waters of the river for the first time.
As dusk falls, the nocturnal young of the wild are learning to navigate the shadows.  In the moonlit forest, young owls stretch their wings, preparing for their first flights.  Their large eyes scan the night, adjusting to the dim light.  Nearby, baby raccoons, their tiny paws moving with remarkable dexterity, search for food, using their sensitive whiskers and sharp senses to uncover insects and fruits.  In the tall grass, a young skunk, still learning how to use its signature spray defense, cautiously explores its surroundings.  A baby bobcat, its spotted coat blending with the shadows, watches its mother, its keen eyes tracking the movement of small prey.
These young creatures are preparing for a life filled with obstacles, but brimming with the promise of discovery, growth, and survival.

History the stamp represents: Hidden among the underbrush of the dense forests and meadows, a family of baby skunks begin to stir.  Born in the safety of a burrow, these tiny creatures, covered in soft fur and distinct white markings, are starting their journey in the world.  Initially blind, deaf, and toothless, they develop these features around three weeks.  At four weeks, they take their first steps.
By the time they are a few weeks old, the kits begin to venture out of the den.  They are curious, using their sensitive noses to explore their surroundings and begin foraging for small insects, grubs, and berries.  Skunks uncover their food by digging in the soft earth with their sharp claws. Their acute sense of smell helps them track down their prey with precision.
Skunks are notorious for their powerful defense mechanism: a pungent spray that can deter even the most persistent predators.  At this young age, however, the kits are still learning how to use it effectively.  They practice by engaging in mock confrontations, learning the importance of caution and timing.
As they grow stronger, these young skunks will leave the safety of the den.  They’ll begin a life of foraging under the cover of night, where their nocturnal habits will serve them well.