Bears On Stamps... Minus Polar Bears!

The UN issued a very long series depicting endangered species under the protection of CITES (The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species). Here are a small group of bear stamps from this series:

Sun Bear (Helarctos malayanus), UN New York Office, 1998:

Brown Bear (Ursus arctos), UN New York Office, 2000:

Spectacled Bear (Tremarctos ornatus), UN Vienna Office, 2001:

American Black Bear (Ursus americanus), UN New York Office, 2004:

Asian Black Bear (Ursus thibetanus), UN Geneva Office, 2004:

Sloth Bear (Melursus ursinus),UN Vienna Office, 2004:

Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) -USSR, 1988:

Here are two modern Germany cancellations, one showing true bears and the other showing a panda.

The February 19, 1988 Straubing duplex cancel publicizes the Straubing Zoo and shows two bears in their enclosure. The August 21, 2005 Briefzentrum 10/Mail Processing Center 10 in central Berlin (Berlin Tempelhof) advertises World Wildlife Fund and depicts a giant panda. Interestingly, this cancel includes a trademark "R" by WWF and a copyright "C" under the panda's back foot.

Who knew there were so many bears! These were in a folder of Yugoslavia I had put away and happen to look at again.

Yugoslavia, Scott #1880-1883 - Feb.1, 1988
Brown Bears (Ursus arctos)