Charity 2002

Stamps designed by André Buzin

In December 2002 Luxembourg issued the second set in the cycle of postal values dedicated to animals living in fields and forests. The postage stamps depict the following subjects, painted by the Belgian wildlife artist André Buzin.

The red fox

The red fox measures up to 100 cm in length (not including his tail of 40 cm), and can weigh up to 7 or 8 kg. This animal is easily recognisable by its ears and black paws, as well as the white tip of its tail. Its coat is generally brown-red, sometimes sprinkled with white patches.
The heightened senses of this carnivore allows it to live near human residences without attracting attention. Farmland with undergrowth and open fields provides it with hiding places, while providing home to numerous rodents, the fox's primary food. Foxes, who live on average for twelve years, mate in the middle of winter. The fox gives birth to two to eight babies in an underground lair where the two parents care for their young for almost five weeks. When autumn arrives, the young leave their birthplace.

The hedgehog

The hedgehog is a small mammal whose back is covered with long, hard and sharp quills and whose belly is covered with soft fur. It measures on average 25 cm in length and its colour varies from light brown to black. When it feels threatened, the hedgehog immediately rolls into a ball and its long quills spread out in every direction, providing an effective defensive position for the animal.
Hedgehogs are found in the daytime in hedges and woods. During the night they leave to go hunting. Hedgehogs eat insects, worms, frogs, mice, and eggs, and are even known to go after snakes. European hedgehogs hibernate, but they may wake-up and leave their nest to go hunting. In summer, the hedgehog gives birth to one or two litters of four to eight babies.

The pheasant

An admired game bird that lives mostly in grain fields, the pheasant is a bird that flies rarely and feeds on insects, grains and plants. The most common species is the hunting pheasant, recognisable by the white ring around the neck of the male. Pheasants are characterised by the great difference in appearance between the males and females: in contrast to the colourful plumage of the male, the female is generally drab and her tail is much shorter.

The deer

The deer is a mammal that lives in Europe and Asia. It measures approximately 1.2m in height at the withers, and has a brown-red coat and a short tail. The antlers of the male can have up to ten horns and they are shed each year. The females do not have antlers.
The males live alone or in a group, whereas the females and fawns move around in organised groups. During mating season, the male associates with a group of females and fights off rival males. The female gives birth to a single fawn. The fawn remains with the mother until the age of two or tree years.
Stamp Issue: Luxembourg, 10 December 2002

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