Celebrate the bond between animal mothers and their babies by taking home this beautiful booklet of 6 Permanent™ domestic rate stamps from the Animal Mothers and Babies stamp issue.

Parenting in the wild is a tough job. Some animal mothers and fathers are always on duty – feeding their babies and protecting them from predators. In their aquatic habitats, where threats can come from both above and below, the sea otter (Enhydra lutris) and the red-necked grebe (Podiceps grisegena) serve as floating havens for their vulnerable offspring.

Canada Post has a longstanding tradition of showcasing Canadian wildlife and using stamps to raise awareness of the impacts of human activity on animal populations. These two species face many threats posed by humans.

Mature female sea otters give birth to a single pup every year for life. The sole caregiver, mother otters float on their backs to feed, groom and cradle their young. The species, once hunted for its luxurious fur, was extirpated from British Columbia but has made a gradual comeback since being reintroduced. It is currently listed as being of special concern in Canada.

Red-necked grebes take turns incubating their eggs and carrying the chicks, which climb onto their parents’ backs immediately after hatching. The monogamous pairs sometimes divide the brood to share feeding responsibilities. Found across most of Canada, these water birds winter off the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. Like sea otters, they face threats such as oil spills, as well as loss of their freshwater nesting habitat from other human disturbances.