caring animal. The best parents in the animal world. Black cat stole someone else's ginger kitten

Often people should learn to care from our smaller brothers. Animals protect their children, give them love and affection. Let's look at those animals who do this all the time.

Elephant mothers, for example, adopt someone else's child if they see that his mother is not taking good care of him. All elephants do this, and it deserves respect.

Lions never leave children when they walk in the first days of life.

When it is hot outside, the hippopotamus begins to secrete special protective milk for the child, which has other properties and has a reddish color.

Squirrels are born small and hairless, so the squirrel creates a "fur coat" of moss for them during his absence.

And armadillos can generally “stop” pregnancy for up to 2 years! This happens if the conditions are not favorable for childbirth and upbringing. In addition, armadillos give birth to children of only one sex. If the female began to give birth to sons, so she will give birth to them until her death.

Otter babies are born blind. At first, while they are unable to take care of themselves, she catches them a fish, feeds them with milk and takes care of them in every possible way.

Giraffe babies are record holders in terms of rapid growth. An hour after birth, the giraffe can already walk, and after 6 hours, it feeds on grass itself and runs around the meadow.

Female crocodiles can carry their children in their mouths or on their heads so that fathers do not eat them in a fit of hunger.

Swans create a "house" for small children, in which the kids ride with their mother.
In a fox family, the male fox always helps to raise small children. He gets food, and the fox sits with the newborns.

Wildlife is amazingly diverse. For example, some representatives of the fauna practically do not take care of their babies, while others, on the contrary, are exemplary parents. With some animals, perhaps, it is worth taking an example even for people.

White bears

A large and formidable mammal can pose a serious danger to anyone who encroaches on its territory. The greatest threat is the ferocious mother bear, protecting her offspring.

Few people know, but the maternal care of these animals can extend not only to their own babies. We have repeatedly recorded cases when polar bears took in orphaned babies.

According to statistics, in the first year of the life of this animal, about forty percent of the brood dies, and the remaining sixty remain intact only thanks to their mothers.

domestic cats

A large number of people cohabit with this feline. Many have noticed that animals are not only good hunters but also exemplary parents.

Females of this species are extremely responsible for raising kittens. The care does not end even when the kids have already learned to move and eat on their own. Domestic cats instruct their offspring to hunt, climb trees and communicate with people. It is noteworthy that animals are also extremely menacing in defense of their children.

Wolves

The ancestors of almost all dog breeds are known to be pack animals and strongly attached to the family. Despite the fact that from the first year of life, wolves begin to take part in hunting, they continue to be directly dependent on their parents.

It is worth noting that, in addition to the mother, in protecting and feeding the cubs Active participation also accepts a flock. Adult males bring prey and give it to the young until the latter learn to hunt on their own.

Tigers

These representatives of the cat family are also distinguished by exemplary care for offspring. Kittens are born blind and helpless, and their weight rarely exceeds 1 kg. Babies are under constant supervision. Kittens feed on milk for up to six months, and up to a year, the mother brings them meat to the den.

Upon reaching the age of two, the young begin to go hunting with the parent. There, the tigress teaches them to hide, move unnoticed, and even distinguish edible meat from inedible. Literally a year later, the younger generation is already beginning to take part in the extraction of food.

alligators

One of the most caring parents among reptiles are alligators. Many representatives of this species not only build large and complex nests for offspring, but practically do not leave them after birth.

The latter helps new parents protect their babies and help them hatch from their shells. Then the mother collects the cubs in her mouth and takes them to a small reservoir, which for some time becomes a kind of kindergarten.

It is noteworthy that parents communicate with babies through special sounds. For example, if a newborn alligator swam far away, then it, like a lost chicken, gives a kind of distress signal. Adults, in turn, warn the young of the approach of strangers so that they hide under water.

elephants

A herd of elephants is like an ideal community. The largest animals on land are distinguished not only by affection for their cubs, but also by caring for other babies and members of the family. In case of danger, adults stand up to protect the young, standing in a ring.

If one of the members of the herd is injured and has difficulty moving, the other two come to the rescue, clinging to either side of the elephant, preventing it from falling.

Orangutan

Among mammals, orangutans have become the most caring parents. According to scientists, the average life expectancy of individuals is about thirty years, and they spend about a third of their lives with their mother.

Surprisingly, representatives of this species even rock their babies. Upon reaching one year, the cubs begin to introduce complementary foods. According to scientists, primates continue to receive mother's milk up to 8-9 years. Of course, the phenomenon is episodic - when the fruit season ends, the parent replenishes the supply of vitamins and trace elements for the young. In other periods, orangutans feed on their own.

Sulawesian kalao

Among the birds, there are also mother-heroines. During the incubation of eggs, representatives of this species hide in the hollow of a tree so as not to allow predators to eat the offspring. Moreover, the kalao closes the hole from the inside and stays there for two months. Staying in a kind of incubator, the bird does not eat or drink anything. Therefore, some of them do not live to hatch offspring.

Octopuses

Representatives of cephalopods also risk their lives while raising babies. Unlike kalao, they incubate up to 50 thousand eggs. On average, the maturation period lasts 40 days, during which their mother does not leave the clutch. Octopuses scare away predators and often refuse to eat.

giant isopod

Despite the unassuming appearance, the birth of offspring - even more terrible process. The fact is that the structure of these crustaceans does not provide for reproductive organs.

When an isopod baby matures enough inside its mother, it literally gnaws its way out. Of course, "birth" always ends in death. adult. Therefore, for a female, pregnancy can only be the first and last in her life.

The animal world is actually not as harsh and cruel as it might seem at first glance. Moreover, animals treat their offspring even better than some representatives of mankind.

All children need the love and care of their mother. But humans and animals have different ideas about what it means to be a good mother. Moreover, they differ different types animals.

Some of the animal mothers, from a human point of view, don't bother to take care of themselves, some are shockingly cruel. And some females sacrifice themselves in the name of motherhood.

Let's get acquainted with some extraordinary mothers of the animal world.

chickens

Chicken mothers take their duties seriously. It is extremely difficult for the chicken body to produce large amounts of calcium carbonate, which is necessary for the formation of the shell.

Therefore, if the mother chicken does not receive enough calcium with food, then in order to build a home for the chicken, she dissolves her own bones!

Cuckoos

Cuckoos are known to be bad mothers. They found good way, which relieves them of this heavy burden - to raise offspring. The mother cuckoo lays her eggs in someone else's nest.

Often these are nests of smaller species of birds, which do not notice anything superfluous. Cuckoo chicks, as a rule, are born first, and grow faster than their "brothers", often preventing them from surviving.

Then the babies get the full attention of their foster parents and significantly increase their chances of survival.

blood-sucking ants

Tiny, endangered and living in Madagascar ant - dracula ( Adetomyrma) shows his love for children in a very strange way.

These ants engage in a practice called non-destructive cannibalism. When the queen of the colony gives life to the ant larvae, they and her "subordinates" make small holes in the bodies of the babies in order to feed on their hemolymph (circulatory system fluid, similar to blood in mammals).

Scientists cannot say exactly why these insects do this. Peculiarities social behavior These ants consist in passing fluid to each other, so they are likely to practice this rudimentary form of behavior.

The larva does not die, but sucking the blood of its young is a very strange way of showing love.

Sea louse

In this case, we will talk about a painful pregnancy. A small, fish-dwelling, female sea louse has sex with a male who fertilizes 25 females at one time.

When the body of the female is ready to give birth to hundreds of her own kind, she does not care at all, so the babies begin to devour her from the inside in order to be born.

gray whales

Sometimes mothers in wild nature go to great lengths to protect their cubs.

Pacific right whales migrate thousands of miles from the cold but plankton-rich Arctic waters to the relatively nutrient-poor tropical lagoons of the Mexican coast to give birth.

Despite the fact that the whales are deprived of an abundant food supply, in the southern regions they are also free from dangerous killer whales that live in cold waters and prey on newborn whales.

Being in warm waters also gives newborns time to fill up on their mother's incredibly fortified milk, which contains 53 percent fat.

It also helps them build up a good layer of fat before they return to the icy Arctic.

Like bears, female whales starve for several months, but at the same time they produce the necessary caloric milk for their babies.

During this time, they can lose about 8 tons in weight!

Spiders

For many spiders, the act of mating means that their lives are coming to an end. However, some mother spiders of the genus Stegodyphus go even further, their maternal love knows no bounds at all.

The mother attaches cocoons with offspring to her web and carefully guards them until the babies are born. After they are born, she turns almost all the food she eats into a nutritious soup with which she feeds her offspring.

Children at this time live in the web. When the babies are one month old, the mother allows them to climb on her back and inject a deadly poison into her body.

After the children eat their mother, they begin to attack each other. Therefore, the strongest offspring are selected from the mother's web.

poison frog

The small females of this poison frog(little poison dart frog) literally go above and beyond when it comes to taking on motherly responsibilities.

After laying about five eggs, the female carefully observes how they grow and how the babies are born. The little poison dart frog then carries its tadpoles, one by one, on its back from the ground to a tree over 30 meters high.

After the babies are at the top of the tree, the frog builds a personal pool for each of its babies in a separate leaf.

After that, the mother feeds her babies for another six to eight weeks on unfertilized eggs, which allows the tadpoles to grow into young frogs without eating each other.

Many people are afraid of wild animals. Not all animals are capable of harming humans. Even seasoned predators try to avoid meeting people. Usually animals show aggression when they need to protect their offspring or territory. Some living creatures amaze with their friendliness and complaisant nature. Such animals will not baselessly attack a person, trying to harm him or kill him. What are the friendliest animals on the planet?

capybara

This funny-looking mammal lives in the reservoirs of Central and South America. The capybara is considered the friendliest animal in the world. The body length of the animal reaches 1.35 meters. An adult weighs about 60 kilograms. These representatives of the pig family swim perfectly in the water. They use their webbed feet to swim. Capybaras eat grass aquatic plants, fruits and tubers. They are social animals. As a rule, in a group there are from 10 to 30 individuals that interact well with each other. Females take care of babies and protect them from jaguars, crocodiles, anacondas or wild dogs.

Dog

This fairly common pet is becoming best friend and companion for a large number of people. Dogs understand human feelings and emotions better than other animals. They are considered friendly and very loyal. The dog can be easily taught commands. These intelligent quadrupeds are used in various fields human activity. For example, they are used in rescue work or for the rehabilitation of disabled people. Dogs have an excellent charm, thanks to which they track down prey. All dogs have extraordinary intelligence. That's why people turn them on.

Dolphin

Cat

It is believed that these predatory mammals were domesticated by humans over 4,000 years ago. There are many breeds of cats that differ in size, color and habits. Domestic cats love to play with their owners. Despite the difficult nature, they do not miss the moment to express their satisfaction to people. Calm and playful cats prefer to relax, finding a warm and cozy place. If cats do not like something, then they use sharp teeth and claws.

Big panda

This sweet and good-natured animal can be found in the mountains of Central China. Their fur is dyed black and white. The weight of an adult individual can reach 160 kilograms. These representatives of the bear family feed on bamboo. They also eat small birds, insects and eggs. IN hibernation the animal does not fall. Unfortunately, big panda is under threat of extinction. The Chinese government carefully guards this amazing beast.

Rabbit

Cute and harmless rabbits can live in fields, forests or in deserts. A person uses them both as pets and for meat and skins. Rabbits live in groups. Their cubs are born blind and devoid of fur. These representatives of the hare family have powerful hind limbs, long ears and short tail. They mainly eat grass. Rabbits need constant care. Caring for them, the rabbit breeder gets a lot of positive and pleasure.

Guinea pig

Horse

This peaceful and noble animal is valued by people for its diligence. There are about 300 breeds of horses. They are widely used in agriculture. Horses often take part in races and equestrian competitions. Highly bred horses can cost more than elite sports cars. The horse is a social animal, so these odd-toed ungulates should not be left alone. They can easily recognize human faces and emotions.

Swan

This graceful bird personifies beauty and romance. Swans never leave their partner and remain devoted to him. They feed mainly on aquatic plants, small algae and mollusks. These representatives of the duck family show aggression only if it is necessary to protect the chicks or a partner. They are very friendly by nature.

Sheep

This artiodactyl mammal known for their calm, non-aggressive nature. Sheep are bred for meat and wool. Most of them are bred in China, Australia and India. Currently, there are about 200 breeds of sheep. These representatives of the bovid family quickly get used to people. Newborn lambs symbolize tenderness, innocence and meekness.

Not only human mothers take care of their offspring. Excellent parents, ready to do anything for their children, are also found among animals. Moreover, some of them do very strange things so that their cubs can live in peace. You can read more about the most caring mothers among animals in this article.

Pigs

It is pigs that are fundamentally different from how we imagine them. They are not only much smarter than we used to think, but also more caring. Pigs sing lullabies to their children! While the piglets are sucking milk, the pig snorts and grunts melodiously, which can be interpreted precisely as a lullaby. It begins with a grunt that lets the babies know that it's time to start eating, and ends with a soft grunt that warns the piglets that the mother is about to leave.

crocodiles

When we think of crocodiles, we imagine the ultimate killing machine with a huge jaw that can snap an antelope's neck with one bite. But, despite the fact that alligators are the most dangerous predators on the planet, they are also considered the best parents. Few people know about it, but alligators are the only reptiles that take care of their offspring after hatching. All the rest just leave their offspring to their fate. But not just crocodiles.

When little crocodiles begin to peck through their shells, they make shrill sounds to alert their mother that they are ready to be born. After that, the crocodile mother carefully takes the egg into her toothy mouth and carries the babies to the water. Dipping his jaw into the water, he gently shakes his head, prompting the crocodiles to swim out of his mouth. If they have problems breaking the shell, she presses a little on the egg, helping him. Crocodile mothers and their offspring stay together for up to a year, which is an impressive time for the animal world.

Red-bellied hornbill

These colorful and unique birds who live in Indonesia can be truly devoted mothers. Female hornbills build their nests in tree holes and must carefully guard their eggs from predators and lizards that strive to feast on tasty prey. Therefore, a brave mother never leaves her nest for all two months while she hatches eggs. To make the protection more reliable, she makes a "wall" of her feces, with the help of which she bricks up the entrance to the hollow.

giant octopus

The giant octopus is known for being large and extremely smart creature. But who would have thought that the female octopus is also considered one of the most devoted mothers on the planet. After all, they spend about 53 months (that's almost 4.5 years!) laying over 50,000 eggs in their carefully guarded lair. The octopus lays eggs one by one, and then carefully sticks them to the walls of a small, well-hidden cave. Small octopuses are formed in eggs for quite a long time - from several months to 2 years, depending on the species. And all this time, their mother faithfully carries out her service, guarding the masonry, washing and protecting the eggs from predators. Before spawning, the body of the mother octopus stops producing digestive enzymes, as she does not eat anything during the entire growth of the eggs. And all this time she slowly dies of hunger. After several years of such "fasting", her body becomes exhausted and she dies immediately after the octopuses hatch from the eggs.

Wasps

Wasps with a bizarre color are not just beautiful insects. It is they who are considered one of the most selfless mothers among Hymenoptera. When the mother wasp is ready to lay her eggs, she goes in search of a cockroach, which should become an "incubator" for her offspring. She finds an insect, paralyzes it with her poison, and then lays a larva in his belly. She hatches and begins to eat a paralyzed cockroach. Sounds pretty nasty, but this is how lunar wasps ensure the survival of their larvae.

Cuckoo

These spiders, also known as "desert spiders", raise their children in the strangest and most wild way as you can imagine. Like the octopus, the mother spider dies shortly after her children are born. When they are old enough, they inject it with poison and digestive enzymes and then devour it. The spider goes to this without the slightest resistance, because otherwise her children will not survive.

opossums

Possum mothers are indeed one of the most devoted parents among animals. These marsupials carry their tiny newborns in a pouch on their stomach for up to two months after birth. They are very comfortable there - warm, brothers and sisters sleep nearby, and besides, you can always eat. As soon as the babies grow up enough to see the world, the mother continues to carry them further, but already on her back. For another three months, she performs her heavy maternal duty, keeping them safe and feeding them. Only when her children become strong and independent does she finally allow them to leave the warm and cozy place on her back.

koalas

Koala mothers are not afraid to do everything to make their cubs feel safe. The diet of koalas consists of only one food - eucalyptus leaves, which are very poisonous. Adult koalas can easily digest them because digestive system inhabited by special bacteria, which makes it easy to digest this poisonous food.

However, their cubs do not yet have such an opportunity, so their mother selflessly chews her feces and feeds them to her babies. You'd be hard-pressed to find moms who would do this for their kids, which is why the koala takes pride of place on our list.

harp seals

Small seals with big round puppy eyes and white fluffy fur are perhaps the cutest creatures on the planet. But you have no idea how much milk a day they need in order to stay as plump! When baby seals are born, they are completely dependent on their mothers. They not only protect babies from predators and protect them from other seals. They feed them with their milk, while eating nothing. A female seal loses about 3 kilograms per day because of this. But her cub eats at the same time healthy milk high in fat and gaining about 2.8 kilograms every day, so it's worth it.

As you can see, there are many living beings in nature who devote themselves to motherhood no less selflessly than a person. And what species seemed to you the most devoted?