A pane of fifty stamps, each featuring a different native North American animal, was issued on June 13, 1987, at CAPEX '87, the international philatelic exhibition in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
The animal subjects reflect the diversity of North American wildlife. The stamps represent all areas of the United States, including Hawaii and Alaska. Unlike the State Birds and Flowers stamps issued in 1982, the North American Wildlife commemoratives did not include state names because several states do not have officially designated state animals.
Chuck Ripper of Huntington, West Virginia, designed the entire pane of stamps. Mr. Ripper also designed the 1981 Wildlife Habitats block of four, the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition stamp, and the 1986 pane of five Fish stamps.
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing printed the stamps in the photogravure process.
