With Mothers’ Day just passed and Fathers’ Day around the corner, we take a look at some of the best parents in the African wild.

Elephants

Elephants live in a strong matriarchal society. When a baby elephant is born, the mother becomes fiercely protective and will not allow others near it. However, eventually the other females in the herd help the mother raise her calf – a practice known as alloparenting.

Giraffes

A giraffe mother will closely guard her newborn for the first few weeks of its life. Thereafter, the calf joins the herd, where the young stay together in a crèche, known as a calving pool. Females will leave their young in this group with another adult female, while the rest head off to forage and drink.

Bat-eared Foxes

The male Bat-eared fox looks after the pups, while the mother heads out to forage for food. The father spends a lot of time with the young, protecting, grooming and rearing them, as well as carrying them between dens.

Cheetahs

The female cheetah is solitary, only coming together with males to mate, and to nurture her young. She raises her cubs in isolation, moving her litter around in order to protect them from predators. This is done to prevent the build-up of scent in dens. The cheetah mother also teaches her young to hunt and protect themselves against predators. After 18 months, the young cheetahs leave their mother and strike out on their own. Related males will usually stay together in groups known as coalitions, while the mother will return to isolation and eventually start another family.

Gorillas

Mother gorillas are very protective of their young, carrying them on their backs for protection. Baby gorillas nurse until they are about three years old and share their mother’s nest up until the age of six. Male gorillas play a role in socialising them to other youngsters., and the silverback has a supportive relationship with babies in his troop, shielding them from aggression within the group.

Originally published on Game Lodge