What would we do without our mothers? From Mother Africa herself to the ladies who brought us into the world and shaped the people we are today, there’s no one more influential than a mom. With 9 May marking Mother’s Day, we thought we’d celebrate some of the greatest moms that can be found in the wild. Here’s a closer look at our favourites.
Lioness
A lioness is certainly one of the most protective moms that exist in the animal kingdom. Not only do they raise their cubs along with other moms in the pride, they also do pretty much all of the hunting. This means that prides rely almost entirely on females for their survival and we think that’s pretty cool! What makes them better hunters? They’re faster than males due to being lighter in weight and hunt collectively as a female pride.
Elephant
Another incredible Matriarch is the elephant. These impressive mammals have a gestational period of almost two years, a staggering time frame for any human woman who has ever been pregnant! The oldest female in every herd controls the social network within the herd and ensures its survival. A mother elephant’s diet will adjust, changing the composition to accommodate her baby’s needs. This includes eating plants with anti-inflammatory properties when her calf is teething to help soothe their discomfort.
Cheetah
Another equally impressive big cat mom is the Cheetah. They raise their young in isolation and move their litter of cubs every few days. Why? This prevents the build-up of a scent that predators can track. 18 months on, the cubs leave their mom before forming a sibling group that stays close for six months before going their separate ways.
Acacia Bag Worm
As the smallest creature in this article, the Acacia Bag Worm is one of the most interesting of all. Despite its name, it’s actually a moth! The female lava never develops wings, instead, she creates a cocoon around her and bites off Acacia thorns to create a safe haven. This protects both herself and her eggs that she lays inside the cocoon. Once she lays her eggs she dies, the ultimate sacrifice a mother can make. Her eggs then hatch into larvae that feed on their mother’s remains or one another. Once that is complete, they burrow a hole through the side of the cocoon and hang down on silk threads, where the wind disperses them.
Take a closer look at them in all of their glory
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