ROYAL OAK, Mich. – The Detroit Zoological Society (DZS) will help stamp out extinction with a Save Vanishing Species semipostal stamp cancellation ceremony and sale at the Detroit Zoo. Representatives from the United States Postal Service (USPS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) Wildlife Without Borders (WWB) program, Detroit Tigers organization and DZS will participate in the ceremony outside the Zoo’s admission gates at 1:30 p.m. today, Friday, May 17, 2013, in observance of Endangered Species Day. There is no charge for admission or parking for the stamp event; however, regular admission and parking fees apply for guests entering the Zoo.

The semipostal stamp, which features the image of an Amur tiger, will be available for sale at the Meet Your Best Friend at the Zoo pet adoption event being held today from 2 to 8 p.m. The cost of the stamp is 55 cents – 9 cents more than first-class postage – and proceeds benefit the WWB Multinational Species Conservation Funds for tigers, great apes, rhinos, elephants, and marine turtles.

“We’re delighted to welcome the Detroit Zoo as our newest partner in the metro area. Together with the Zoo, the local post offices and the Detroit Tigers team and family, we will make a difference in protecting some of the most cherished and iconic species that make our world a better place to live,” said Herbert Raffaelle, Chief of the USFWS Division of International Conservation.

“This stamp helps to create awareness of vanishing species and provides an excellent way for the community to support major conservation programs for some of the most endangered wildlife on the planet,” said DZS Executive Director and CEO Ron Kagan.

In addition, the USPS is creating special collector’s envelopes with the cancelled stamp – called cachets – featuring images of marine turtles as well as the Detroit Zoo’s Amur tigers, western lowland gorillas, white rhinoceroses and retired Asian elephants. The cachets will sell for $5 each or $20 for a set of five and will also be available during the Meet Your Best Friend event.

Animal enrichment and zookeeper talks will take place at the Zoo’s great ape (10:30 a.m.), rhino (12 noon) and tiger (2 p.m.) habitats on May 17 to educate visitors about the plight of these iconic species in the wild.

The Save Vanishing Species stamp marks the fourth semipostal stamp issued by the USPS and the first issued to raise funds for wildlife conservation. The stamp was introduced on September 20, 2011, and is available in post offices across the United States and online. To date, more than 20 million stamps have been sold, raising more than $2.1 million for the international conservation of wildlife.

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