In nature, perhaps no other bond is stronger than that between a mother and her young. A mother feeds, nurtures, teaches, protects, and sacrifices to ensure the survival of her children.
So for this we wish a Happy Mother's Day to all mothers, everywhere!
Mom's Gallery
African savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana africana); Amboseli National Park, Kenya
African elephant herds are made up of mostly females and are led by the oldest female - or matriarch.
More on African elephants
More on African elephants
Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata) mother with baby; Nagano, Japan.
Mother macaque monkeys have been observed exagerating tool-using behaviour to teach their young.
Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus, mother with joey (young) feeds on eucalyptus leaves. Australia.
Like other marsupials the baby koala, or joey, will spend the first 6-7 months of its life inside their mothers pouch.
More on koalas
More on koalas
Mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) mother cradling and kissing foot of 1 week baby, Volcanoes NP, Virunga Mountains, Rwanda
A baby gorilla will spend the first few months in constant physical contact with their mother. Female gorillas have offspring every 6-8 years.
More on mountain gorillas
More on mountain gorillas
Southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum) mother and calf. The white rhino is listed by the IUCN as endangered.
If threatened a baby rhino will run in front of it's mother. Young rhinos are rarely attacked due to the protectiveness of their mothers.
More on white rhinos
More on white rhinos
A female Polar bear (Ursus maritimus) resting with her young cub in the snow near Churchill, Manitoba, Canada.
Polar bear mothers typically have 2 cubs in each litter. The first months after the cub's birth is spent inside the maternity den that the mother digs out of the snow.
More on polar bears
More on polar bears
Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) gently carries young cub in her mouth.
On average, tigers give birth to 2-3 cubs every 2-2.5 years, and sometimes every 3-4 years. If all the cubs die, a second litter may be produced within 5 months.
More on tigers
More on tigers
Black-browed albatross (Diomedea / Thalassarche melanophrys) with chick on nest, part of a large colony, Steeple Jason, Falkland Islands.
Both the mother and father albatross take care of the chick. They take it in turns to find food for their chick, often flying huge distances to do so.
More on the albatross
More on the albatross
Northern right whale mother & calf (Eubalaena glacialis) off the Atlantic coast of Florida.
Right whale mothers and their calves display strong attachments, with the calf keeping in close contact with its mother by swimming up on her back or butting her with its head.
More on the northern right whale
More on the northern right whale
Orang utan (Pongo pygmaeus) baby 'kissing' mother, Borneo.
Female orang-utans typically reproduce at around 10-15 years of age and mostly give birth to a single young. This makes them vulnerable if there are increased deaths in a population.
More on orang-utans
More on orang-utans
