Motherhood in the animal kingdom takes many forms, some heart-warming, others particularly ruthless. With Mother's Day 2025 around the corner, it's the perfect time to celebrate the most dedicated mums in nature while also taking a look at some that... well, might not deserve a card this year. So, whether Mother's Day is a day to celebrate, commiserate, or ignore entirely for you, we hope that you'll find comfort in this tribute to the best and worst mothers in the animal world.
THE 5 BEST ANIMAL MOTHERS
1. Orangutan - Devoted Teacher
Orangutan mothers are among the most dedicated in the animal kingdom. They nurse their babies for up to seven years, creating incredible, long-lasting bonds and teaching them everything they need to survive in the wild, from finding food to using tools and building nests. These incredible mums ensure their little ones get the best education. As orangutans are typically solitary animals, the mother-child bonds are especially significant. It's said that female orangutans will sometimes visit their mothers for years after they gain their independence.
2. Elephant – Protective Matriarch
While elephants usually do not raise their calves alone, calling on other females in the herd, known as "allomothers", to help protect and guide their young, elephants form deep bonds with their calves, caring for them for years and guiding them as they grow. Elephant mothers are fiercely protective, and female elephants will stay with their mothers for life, helping raise the younger generation. Elephants are a beautiful reminder that motherhood doesn't have to be a solo journey; sometimes, it takes a village.
3. Humpback Whale – Nurturing Traveller
Humpback whale mothers go to great lengths to care for their calves. They travel far to give birth in warm tropical waters, then embark on long migrations while nursing their young on rich, fatty milk. A mother humpback whale can lose up to one-third of her body weight while nursing her calf. These devoted mums stay close to their calves for over a year, guiding them through the ocean and protecting them from predators, never venturing more than a body length away from them. Their patience and nurturing nature make them some of the most caring mothers in the sea.
4. Cheetah – Tireless Trainer
Cheetah mothers raise multiple cubs alone, tasked with the mammoth job of finding safe dens, hunting for food, protecting cubs from predators, and teaching their young the essential survival skills they'll need to fend for themselves in the competitive African savannah. Cubs will usually stay with their mothers for 18 months, and along the way, their fierce big cat mothers work to remind us that the best parents prepare their children for independence!
5. Emperor Penguin – Working Mum
The parental care of emperor penguins is fascinating from both perspectives. The mother lays a single egg and then passes it over to the father to keep warm. While the father protects the egg, the mother journeys for miles to feed for about nine weeks, preparing to regurgitate food for the chick when she returns. She'll then relieve the father of his care duties so that he can break his fast. Both parents share the responsibility after this, but the dedication of the mother, who braves the harsh Antarctic cold to ensure her chick's survival, earns her a well-deserved place among the best mothers in the wild.
Now, for the real reason you're here, the dirt on the worst mothers in the animal kingdom...
THE 5 WORST ANIMAL MOTHERS
1. Cuckoo - Absent Mother
It's hard to tell whether the cuckoo parenting style is considered lazy or a stroke of genius. Cuckoos are referred to as 'brood parasites', invading other species' nests to swap out one of the host eggs for one of their own (see photo above), tricking the host into caring for their young. This way, cuckoos conserve energy and don't have to build nests, incubate their eggs, or feed their chicks. In fact, with other birds raising their young, adult cuckoos begin their migration to Africa earlier. To add insult to injury, cuckoo chicks will often push the host birds' real offspring out of the nest, so they solely focus on raising them. What's that saying, "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree"?
2. Harp Seal - Short-Term Caregiver
Harp seal mothers are very attentive and constantly feed their pup... for around 12 days. That's the seal pup's lot before the mother abandons them on the ice, leaving them to fend for themselves. The pup must quickly learn to survive on its own, and since it cannot swim or hunt until it is around 8 weeks old, there is a risk period of starvation, predation, and even drowning.
4. Panda – Pick-and-Choose Parent
Pandas may be adorable, but their parenting skills leave much to be desired. Mother pandas often give birth to twins but usually choose to care for only one, leaving the other to fend for itself. This is thought to be due to their limited resources and energy, but it's still a harsh reality of life in the wild. Not exactly the doting mother you'd expect from such a beloved, 'cuddly' species!
3. Hamster – Stress Eater
While hamsters are known to be relatively nurturing in terms of nesting and fiercely protective of their young, they will sometimes eat their own babies, especially if they feel stressed, lack food, or sense weakness in a pup. While this behaviour may seem brutal, it's an instinctual way of ensuring that the strongest offspring survive. Take this as a gentle reminder to be extra nice to your mothers, especially when they're stressed!
5. Black Eagle – Rivalry Onlooker
Black eagle mothers favour a tough-love approach with their young. Black eaglets have a reputation for sibling aggression and will often fight to the death. Mothers allow fierce sibling rivalry among their chicks, standing by as the older, stronger chick attacks and, in most instances, kills the weaker one. This brutal survival strategy ensures that only the fittest chick gets the resources to thrive; the non-intervention and on-looking of the mother during these death battles feels a little unnerving but is made more shocking when she feeds the dead chick to the winner.
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Motherhood in the animal kingdom is as diverse as nature itself. Some mums go above and beyond, making incredible sacrifices to ensure their young thrive, while others take a more indifferent (or even destructive) approach. However, whether nurturing or neglectful, each of these strategies has evolved for survival. So, while we may take a jab or two at the world's 'worst' mothers, their evolutionary parenting styles serve their species well – usually!
