Everyone likes to watch how cute baby animals frolic. But for many kids, such games are a process of growing up, nurturing and learning. By training their skills in this way, the crumbs are preparing to lead an independent adult life. In addition to such independent development, many cubs are trained thanks to the sensitive guardianship of their parents. But some representatives of the animal world are special examples of concern for the offspring that have appeared.
Polar Bear Moms
Bears living in the Far North, even before the appearance of the babies, begin to take care of their well-being. They prepare the den in advance and intensively gain weight in order to provide the bear cub with food throughout the polar night. After the birth of the babies, they are completely helpless, so they need the sensitive care of their mother. For eight months she has been feeding her offspring. With the advent of spring, the she-bear continues to take care of the children, taking them out fishing, teaching them how to catch quick prey in the water. But maternal feelings do not pass on this. For several more years, the cubs follow their mother, who protects them from dangers and teaches them to adapt to life in harsh lands.
Elephant Moms
Elephants carry offspring for 22 months. After birth, the calf is not deprived of maternal affection, which manifests itself to him around the clock. Such attention is important because the elephant calf is born completely blind. A mother can feed her child until the next offspring, despite the fact that he has been accustomed to solid food since six months. It is also interesting that in addition to the mother, the other members of the herd take care of the baby, as if about their own. Other "nannies" are also ready to protect babies from predators, just like their own mother.
Cat pet
Among the most caring mothers are feline representatives. This includes not only ordinary cats, but also dangerous wild animals: tigers, cougars, lynxes and many others. A baby animal from this family owes its survival only to its mother, since fathers very rarely participate in parenting. The cat has been taking care of babies since their birth. She feeds, licks and practically does not leave kittens in the first days of their life. Over time, the mother teaches them to hunt, bringing them half-dead prey, so that they develop appropriate skills. In addition, the cat is ready to protect its offspring from dangerous animals by attacking an object that shows aggression, or it can transfer the children by the scruff to a quieter place. In this family, young animals (wild and domestic) are truly lucky, because their mothers are ready to sacrifice themselves for them.
Feline maternal instincts are so developed that they are ready to raise even foreign children. There were cases when a mother cat took squirrels, chickens and other crumbs left orphans. The photos of pets with cubs given in this article demonstrate how mothers “adopted” foreign babies. Sometimes kittens were also so lucky.
Alligators and their children
Oddly enough, but these reptiles are also exemplary parents. Even before laying eggs, the female reverently approaches the choice of the place of “incubation”. It is interesting that the cubs of this animal acquire sex, depending on the temperature of the place where the eggs lie. That is why a caring mother makes two different masonry. She covers one of them with cool moss, and hides the second in the dead leaves, so that the temperature is higher and the males appear. In addition, during the entire incubation period, the mother guards her masonry so that all the babies remain unharmed. Waiting for the appearance of the children, she carries everyone in her mouth to the water, where she protects the offspring for about another year.
Wolf families
In wolves, both parents are involved in raising offspring. This is a good example of how animals take care of cubs and teach them all the wisdom of life. After the appearance of the cubs, the female feeds them with milk for about two months. Further, not only the mother, but also the father begins to take care of food for the puppies, giving them semi-digested food. When the kids are still a little older, the parents bring live prey in their teeth, teaching them to kill the victim. Having acquired such skills, the wolf cubs begin to hunt together with adults. Independent life in puppies begins in a year.
Primates and their cubs
Almost all primates do not leave their babies after birth. But between the representatives of the detachment there may also be differences in the methods of education. So, most macaques are not examples of gentle behavior of parents: they can bite and scratch their children. Also, if these mothers are dissatisfied with something, they can grab their crumbs by the hair. Growing up, macaques also behave with their offspring, but if the child was not offended by the child in childhood, he will not hurt his brood.
In chimpanzee families, everything is different. They care so much about their child that they are ready to die for it. Thanks to the love of the mother, the cub of the animal gains confidence and may eventually take a good position in the monkey family. Mother always tries to keep the baby close and communicates with him using sounds, gestures and facial expressions.
Angry Moms
But not all animals guard their litter so reverently. Some mothers leave their babies right after they are born. Basically, this is practiced in those animals that are prepared from birth for an independent life. For example, newborn seals have a sufficient fat reserve, and they do not die of hunger, even though their mothers leave them.
Also, the cub of the animal may be left without guardianship after some time. The female at the same time excommunicates the baby gradually. Each time, the mother can go further and further from the crumbs, returning to him takes more and more time, and once she simply does not come.
The fact is that the more often an animal brings offspring, the more heedless it is of its crumbs. The evidence is small rodents, which are very prolific. The role of the mother is not in education, but in feeding. Often, after twenty days, the children leave their native nest. For example, hares grow very fast. A few weeks after the birth of the rabbit can begin to lead an independent life.
Facts about baby animals and their parents
There are many animals on earth, and each species has its own attitude to its offspring. Here are some examples of motherhood in the animal world.
- Each pigeon has its own character and therefore each family is different from the others. There are males who, like their mother, will feed and take care of their chicks, while others, on the contrary, are able to peck their offspring.
- In kangaroos, even mothers are negligent. If the baby does not hold on tightly to the nurse and does not stick to the nipple during jumping, he may fall out of the bag, and his mother will not even notice it.
- In foxes, not only the female is caring. Father helps mother feed the foxes, which can be up to 13 pieces.
- Herons are not an example of maternal love. Seeing a kite, they will not even try to save their chick. In addition, they can ruin the nest of their neighbor with her chicks.
- The squirrel takes care of its newborn squirrels. She wraps the naked crumbs in moss so that they do not freeze while she is absent in the nest.