A Mother's Love

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Duck and Ducklings
Photograph by lozan365/iStockphoto.com

A duck and her ducklings walk along a riverbank. Ducklings believe that the first thing they see is their mother.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Cat and Kittens
Photograph by Orphan Cam/Shutterstock

Born blind and deaf, kittens depend on their mother's sense of sight and hearing, navigating the world by touch, taste, and smell for the first three weeks of life.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Pig and Piglet
Photograph by Craig W. Walsh/iStockphoto.com

A dominant mother pig typically gives birth to more male piglets than subordinate sows.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Dog and Puppies
Photograph by Stanislav Duben/Shutterstock

Mother dogs lick their newborn pups clean, biting off each umbilical cord—an essential step in the bonding process.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Otter and Pup
Photograph by Lynn M. Stone

Newborn sea otters can float, but they can't swim. Mothers balance them on their stomachs.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Japanese Macaque and Infant
Photograph by Tim Laman

Japanese macaques can convey ideas to one another and pass skills down, generation to generation. The macaques, also called snow monkeys, have humanlike faces that can show a lot of emotion. They live in northern Japan, where it gets very cold, so they grow heavy fur coats in the winter to keep them warm.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Giraffe and Calf
Photograph by Craig W. Walsh/iStockphoto.com

Giraffe mothers give birth on their feet—and their newborns drop six feet to the ground, headfirst. The fall actually helps them take first breaths.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Mare and Foal
Photograph by John Daniels/ardea.com

A mare chooses the company her newborn keeps. Older siblings and trusted humans may approach, but she wards off all others.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Bottlenose Dolphin and Calf
Photograph by Augusto Stanzani/ardea.com

A mother dolphin may whistle to her calf almost continuously for several days after giving birth. This acoustic imprinting helps the calf learn to identify its mother.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Panda and Cub
Photograph by Michael Nichols/National Geographic Stock

A giant panda might nurse her young as often as 14 times a day, 30 minutes at a time.

i love the otter one

Me too xx

awwww their sweet!! xxx

Love the pigs x

Such a good post. I love the little red pigs.

aww, that kind of made me feel really nice about the horses. A couple of the mares have had foals at the stables and they have let me come over to say hello. I always talk to the mare first and then they will stand to the side and let the foal come and see me and let me stroke them and make a fuss. aww.

What wonderful and very special photos, I will be saying "arrrr" for ages now. Thank you for sharing these love.

Hugs

JO xx