The Big 5 (Cartoons)

Stamp issue date: 14 November 2008
Artwork: Dr Jack
Stamp size: 30 x 24mm
Booklet size: 150 x 60mm
Paper: Avery Dennison B100 Glossback
Gum: PS1 PSA
Quantity printed: 100 000 booklets
Colour: CMYK
Phosphor: 4 mm in L shape, on left and top of stamp.
Printing process: Offset Lithography
Printed by: Southern Colour Print, New Zealand

The stamps were designed by Dr Jack and he has this to say about his artwork: “To anthropomorphise animals is a special useful skill when one is a cartoonist, and even more so for a political cartoonist because one can convey the character of the subject by the choice of animal to portray him! The most important thing I had to bear in mind when designing the cartoonified/anthropomorphised Big Five for this stamp series was not to give each of them the same expression since this is an easy trap to fall into. The animals must all of them look happy to be on the envelope. I worked as an artist for the National Parks Board and also freelanced as a cartoonist for a wide variety of publications for 15 years which equipped me well to deal with such traps”

“I particularly feel happy with the buffalo, which seems to almost smile despite being himself! But I couldn’t get the rhino to smile at all, and just had to accept him for who he was” says Dr. Jack, in appreciation of his work.

Elephant (Loxodonta Africana) - The African Elephant is the largest living land mammal, one of the most impressive animals on earth. The Elephant’s muscular trunk serves as a nose, hand, extra foot, signalling device and a tool for gathering food, siphoning water, dusting, digging and a variety of other functions.

Rhino (Diceros Bicornis) - The rhinoceros is a large, primitive looking mammal that in fact dates from the Miocene era millions of years ago. In recent decades rhinos have been relentlessly hunted to the point of near extinction. Since 1970 the world rhino population has declined by 90 percent, with five species remaining in the world today, all of which are endangered.

Lion (Panthera Leo) - Lions are the second largest members of the feline family in the world. Lions are tan in colour and have a slightly white under-body, with a tuft of black hair at the end of their tails. Lions have developed a social system based on teamwork and a division of labour within the pride. The average pride consists of about 15 individuals, including five to 10 females with their young and two or three territorial males that are usually brothers or pride mates.

Leopard (Panthera Pardus) - The most secretive and elusive of the large carnivores, the leopard is also the shrewdest. It is the strongest climber of the large cats and capable of killing prey larger than itself. Leopards are mainly nocturnal animals but are also seen during the day, especially in the early mornings and late afternoons.

Buffalo (Syncerus Caffer) - Buffalo are extremely large, cattle-like animals. The legs are very heavy to support the large body. Front hooves are larger than the hind because of the extra mass they carry in the huge head and thick neck. Both sexes carry horns, which in the males can grow to 1.5m.