Giant Panda

Front:
29 SianlNos FIRST DAY OF ISSUE Oct. 1, 1992 New Orleans, LA 7011 3 CHUCK RIPPER

Back:
GIANT PANDA First Day of Issue: October 1, 1992 First Issue Location: New Orleans, Louisiana Giant Pandas have been sources of scientific curiosity and wonder for nearly a century. Some authorities group Giant Pandas with bears; others advocate that Pandas belong to the raccoon clan. While many others maintain that Giant Pandas have their own separate family, all agree that these rare and cuddly creatures have a unique place in the hearts of animal-lovers the world over. Before the late 1860s, Europeans never knew of such a creature. But in 1869, a Jesuit missionary to the Orient discovered some panda pelts, although more than 40 years passed before a European actually observed the animal in the wild. In 1972, America received a remarkable gift from the People's Republic of China — a pair of Giant Pandas named Ling-Ling and Hsing Hsing. At the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., they captured the hearts of a nation and broadened its citizens' appreciation of wild animals. Once roaming over large portions of China and Burma, the Giant Panda is now an endangered species. Fewer than 1,000 remain outside captivity. No. 92-125 First Day of Issue Postcard Collection™ ©1992 Fleetwood® Cheyenne, WY 82008-0001 Original painting for the First Day of Issue Postcard by Chuck Ripper Fleetwood OFFICIAL FIRST DAY OF ISSUE POSTCARD NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION