Nature’s Mothers

This weekend is Mother’s Day. To celebrate I thought it might be fitting to send you some videos of mothers and children in the natural world. But how do you narrow that to a few examples? It’s like typing in “cat” or “dog” in a search engine and trying to rummage through the results.

So I did a bit of digging on the subject of motherhood in nature, beyond videos. World Wildlife Fund to the rescue! They have an article on 5 Remarkable Animal Moms, which was a bit underwhelming, but it added some focus.

To all the mothers and grandmothers out there, thank you for the work you do for your children! Enjoy the videos.

Orangutans

According to the World Wildlife Fund:

“The bond between an orangutan mother and her young is one of the strongest in nature. During the first two years of life, the young rely entirely on their mothers for both food and transportation. The moms stay with their young for six to seven years, teaching them where to find food, what and how to eat and the technique for building a sleeping nest. Female orangutans are known to “visit” their mothers until they reach the age of 15 or 16.”

This video hilariously displays the crap mothers have to put up with when it comes to raising the kids (If the video doesn’t show up for you below, click here)!

Polar Bears

On the adorable, giant polar bear, WWF says:

“Attentive polar bear mothers usually give birth to twin cubs that stick by her for about two years to learn the necessary survival skills in the cold climate. The mothers den by digging into deep snow drifts, creating a space protected from the elements. They usually give birth between November and January and keep the cubs warm and healthy using their body heat and milk. The cubs leave the den in March and April to get used to outside temperatures before learning to hunt.”

From 600 grams to behemoth, mothers make growth happen! Click here for the video if the thumbnail below doesn’t work.

Elephants

Mothers know sometimes it requires outside help to allow a child to live or thrive. In this video, we see one happy mama at the end! (Click here if the thumbnail doesn’t work for you)

What the WWF has to say here is not irrelephant:

“When it comes to African elephants, a new mom is not alone in guiding her young. Elephants live in a matriarchal society, so other females in the social group help a calf to its feet after birth and show the baby how to nurse. The older elephants adjust the pace of the herd so the calf can keep stride. By watching the adults, the calf learns which plants to eat and how to access them. The females regularly make affectionate contact with the calf.”

Cheetahs

Danger is everywhere. Mothers have to learn how to keep the young ones safe. There are jackals around every corner.

On Cheetahs, the WWF opines:

“Cheetah mothers raise their young in isolation. They move their litter—usually two to six cubs—every four days to prevent a build-up of smell that predators can track. After 18 months of training as hunters, the cheetah cubs finally leave their mothers. The cubs then form a sibling group that will stay together for another six months.”

(Click here if the video below doesn’t work for you)

Penguins

Mothers learn to recognize their own brand of crazy. When you’ve gone miles and miles to provide for your offspring, you need to be able to pick them out from a crowd!

Per the World Wildlife Fund:

“After laying an egg, the mother emperor penguin leaves it with a male who protects the fragile hard shell from the elements. The mother then travels up to 50 miles to reach the ocean and fish. She later returns to the hatching site to regurgitate the food to the newly hatched chicks. Using the warmth of her own brood pouch, the mother keeps the chick warm and safe.”

(Click here if the video does not load below!)