Cat-loving letter writers and bill payers alike can look forward to a new stamp to go on sale this fall, with proceeds from the stamp鈥檚 sale to benefit international wildlife conservation. Yesterday, the U.S. Postal Service gave Americans a sneak peak of the Save Vanishing Species stamp, which features an illustration of a tiger cub by artist Nancy Stahl.

Net proceeds from the sale of the Save Vanishing Species stamp will directly benefit projects supported by the Multinational Species Conservation Funds (MSCF), which are administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to conserve tigers, rhinos, great apes, marine turtles, African elephants and Asian elephants. WCS helped lead the effort to pass federal legislation creating the stamp, which was signed into law last September.

鈥淭his beautiful tiger stamp represents a tremendous opportunity for all Americans to help conserve the world鈥檚 most iconic species,鈥� said John Calvelli, WCS鈥檚 Executive Vice President of Public Affairs. 鈥淎s an organization that works with the Fish and Wildlife Service, WCS knows that the conservation of imperiled species will be greatly enhanced by the infusion of more resources, especially through creative funding mechanisms such as the wildlife stamp that have no impact on the U.S. taxpayer.鈥�

The Save Vanishing Species stamps will be available at post offices nationwide this September, as well as at WCS parks. They will sell for 11 cents greater than a First Class Mail stamp鈥�55 cents鈥攁nd $11 for a sheet of 20.

鈥淭his stamp marks the fourth semipostal issued by the Postal Service. These types of stamps provide an extremely convenient way for the American public to contribute to help protect threatened and vanishing species,鈥� said Deputy Postmaster General Ron Stroman. 鈥淲e look forward to working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Multinational Species Coalition to make this stamp a resounding success.鈥�

鈥淭he stamp provides a unique opportunity for the American public to work with the federal government to contribute to saving some of our most beloved threatened species,鈥� said Herb Raffaele, Chief of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service鈥檚 Division of International Conservation. 鈥淎 commitment to the stamp will demonstrate that Americans really care about wildlife conservation abroad.鈥�