Celebrating Strong Animal Moms

Human mothers are not the only moms who devote their lives to nurturing and protecting their young. Many animal moms go to great lengths to ensure their offspring safely reach adulthood with all the knowledge and skills they need to live a long and fruitful life. Some mothers even endanger their own well-being or sacrifice their lives for the sake of their young. Here are just a few examples of the wonderful ways animal moms care for their babies.

Pigs

Mother pigs are nurturing and protective of their piglets. During their pregnancy, the moms prepare by creating a nest out of straw or similar materials. After birth, mother pigs dedicate their lives to nursing and caring for their piglets. Some even sing to their piglets while nursing. Pig moms keep their babies safe and warm while teaching them critical social skills.

Osprey

An osprey will shelter her eggs from the weather with her own body. She will also dive-bomb anyone who gets too close. As they grow, she may help her mate catch fish for the young birds.

Orcas

Orca moms care for their male offspring their entire life. Female offspring make their own way once they reach adulthood, but the Orca mom will defend and feed her boy at all costs. “Scientists think this is a survival strategy, as raising a strong male will help him be dominant and better able to pass on his (and his mother’s) genetic heritage.”

Alligators

An alligator mother will create a nest for her eggs and fiercely guard them. When the babies are ready to emerge, she will gently crack the shells. Alligator moms will tenderly carry a group of her hatchlings from the nest to the water in their powerful, terrifying jaws. She will care for them and protect them from predators, which include other alligators, for 1-3 years.

Gorillas

Gorillas share 98% of their DNA with humans. They are more like us than many people realize. Gorilla moms nurse their babies every hour for a year. The two sleep together, mom holding baby, and stay together for 3-4 years. During this time, the mom will not get pregnant again so that she can focus all her attention on her baby.

Lioness

A lioness prepares a den for her cubs that is well away from other lions who would kill them. She gives birth to anywhere from 1 to 4 cubs. Every few days, she moves them one by one, carrying them by the skin on their necks, to a new location so their smell will not build up and attract predators.

Mouthbrooding fish

A mouthbrooding fish will carry her eggs in her mouth until they hatch. Then, after they hatch, she will carry the hatchlings in her mouth for 3 weeks as they grow. She does not eat the entire time.

Cheetahs

Cheetahs give birth to 1-6 cubs at a time. Much like the lioness mom, the cheetah will frequently move her cubs. She leaves them only to hunt. She will care for her cubs in isolation for 18 months.

Orangutans

Orangutan young stay with their mother for 6-9 years. The babies are totally dependent on mom for food and transportation. As they grow, mom will teach them survival skills, such as how to find food, which foods are safe, and how to build nests for sleep. Female orangutans have been known to visit their moms until they are 15 or 16 years old.

Polar Bears

Polar bears burrow into the snow to make a den where they will stay for months before giving birth. She usually births twins and keeps them warm with her body heat. She will nurse them up to six times a day for around 18 months. The cubs will stay with mom until they are 2-3 years old.

Elephants

In addition to an extremely long gestation period of 18-22 months, elephant mothers nurse their calves for up to 10 years. Elephants also practice “allmothering”, meaning every female in the herd cares for and protects the calves. Female elephants can often be seen making affectionate contact with the babies.

Dolphins

Dolphins will sing to their calves while they are still in the womb. Researchers theorize she may be teaching the calf her “name”, allowing the baby to imprint on her whistle. Other dolphins will stay quieter during this period so the baby learns to recognize the mother’s call above all others. Dolphin mothers also use a higher-pitched “baby talk” to communicate with their young calves. Young dolphins will stay with their mothers for 1-7 years.

Cows

Cows form strong, lifelong bonds with their calves. They teach them by modeling behaviors, including empathy. She gently grooms her calf with her sandpaper-like tongue. A mother cow will place herself between her calf and danger. She will cry out for them if they are ever separated. Cows have also been known to adopt orphaned calves and care for them as if they were their own.

Chickens

Mother hens will “talk” to their chicks while they are still in the egg, and they chirp in response. She turns her eggs up to 50 times a day. As the chicks struggle to emerge from their shells, the mother hen will cluck encouragingly to help them along. After they hatch, the mother will fiercely protect them. Mother hens teach their chicks various vocalizations with different meanings, such as “time to eat”, “a predator is near”, or “come to me”. Their mother will lead them to food and help them catch bugs or break up larger pieces of food for them. Young chicks will snuggle underneath their mother for safety and warmth. A hen will care for her chicks until they are big enough to be on their own. She may even adopt other orphaned chicks.

Celebrating Animal Moms

Animal mothers are amazing and resilient. They instinctively raise and protect their young, teaching them things they need to know for survival as adults. Animal moms often make great sacrifices for their young. Some even give their own lives. We should never assume that humans are the only species capable of loving and caring for children. Many animals can exhibit love, compassion, or protectiveness just as much as humans. We need only observe them to see this. Animal moms should be respected and protected while they work to raise their precious babies.