Well, as you know, today is officially Mother's Day, so we are going to celebrate it in a completely different way. We all know the history and customs of it, so this is a different aspect of Mother's Day but still about Mothers.

We all love baby animals, but what do we know about the work that animal mothers put into giving birth, generally without the aid of a vet and other luxuries we humans can have, and in bringing their young up, sometimes against all odds.

A mother's instinct in the animal world is very strong and she will fight to the death for her babies. So, today, we will celebrate the animals that thrive to help this planet. But as in human society, there are good mums and bad mums.

We have all seen cats with their kittens or dogs with their puppies, but their life is easy generally compared to some.

Here are a few of the good mum’s in the Animal Kingdom. There are plenty more as well.

The bond between an orangutan mother and her child is one of the strongest there is. For 2 years, the baby relies on mum for everything, even transportation. The mum stays with the young for about 7 years teaching them to find food, what to eat and what not to eat and the technique for building a sleeping nest.

A female polar bear will generally have twin cubs who stick to her like glue for 2 years to learn how to survive in the cold climate. It's a tough life out there and some do not survive. The den is dug in the snowdrifts and gives some protection from the elements.
They usually give birth between November and January and keep the young warm with their body heat and milk, The cubs don’t venture out till March/April to get used to the temperatures before learning to hunt.

The new African elephant mum is not alone in rearing her young as they live in a matriarchal society and the other females help the calf find its feet after birth and show the calf how to nurse. The older elephants adjust the speed the herd travel so the calf can keep up. By watching the adults, the calf soon learns what to eat and not to eat.

Cheetahs raise their young in isolation. They move the litter, anything between 2 and 6 cubs, every few days to prevent a build-up of smell that predators can track. The cubs leave their mum after about 18 months of harsh training. The cubs then form a sibling group that stay together for another 6 months

Now, one we all love, the Emperor Penguin. After laying the egg, the mother leaves it with the male who will protect the fragile shell from the elements. The egg must be kept off the ice. The mother travels up to 50 miles to the ocean to fish. By the time she has returned, the chick has hatched and she regurgitates the food so the chick can eat. She uses the warmth of her brood pouch to keep the chick warm and safe.

Unfortunately, there are some very bad mums in nature as well.

Eagle mothers just can’t be bothered and fights between siblings are awful. It's nothing unusual for the baby eagles to peck at the weakest and sometimes killing it. Mum lets them get on with it and lets the siblings have it all and it is the survival of the fittest

Baby rabbits are so cute but their mums don’t snuggle them much at all. She leaves the burrow shortly after giving birth and pops back a few minutes a day for feeding so the babies are pretty much left to fend for themselves. They have also sometimes been known to eat their babies

Seals and pandas aren't good Mums.
For the first 12 days, the seal is all over the baby, but then doesn't really want to know.
The Pandas tend to have 2 cubs and will favour just one.

Hamsters can eat their babies and cuckoos just lay their eggs in somebody else’s nest and leave them to it.

One of the best Mothers, I think, are birds. They fly from dawn to dusk non-stop searching for food and coming back and forth to the nest to feed the young. They are fascinating to watch and you do feel sorry for them. The babies are always hungry!

The advantage animal mothers have over humans is that their children flee the nest. Human children are around for the rest of their lives.

Ok, so what's your favourite animal mother and why? Let's have some pics, gifs etc. of them and what you like about the animals that are struggling to survive generally cos of man. So many of the young nowadays are endangered and we can't afford to lose even one of the babies of things like snow leopards and other wild animals.

Let’s also raise a glass to all the human mums of this world, without who we wouldn’t be here.

All are welcome.
And please feel free to share all discussions you enjoy