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25 of The Cutest Parenting Moments In The Animal Kingdom
Source: http://themindunleashed.org/2014/07/25-cutest-parenting-moments-animal-kingdom.html
The animal kingdom harbors many parenting secrets. Compared with humans, animals have both unique and similar ways of parenting their offspring. For instance, elephants rely on young females to act as babysitters for their young calves–sound familiar?
Not everything animal parents do is identical to human parents. For instance, the Panda bear commonly gives birth to two babies but she only raises one. Before you go thinking Panda moms are callous and cruel, it’s not that at all. Instead, out in the rough and tough wild mothering one baby requires all of the resources a Panda has to offer. Her decision boils down to one healthy baby or two weak babies.
Not everything is bleak out in the wild, in fact few things are. It appears animals enjoy raising their young just as much as us furless humans! Check out these photos of the cutest parenting moments in the animal kingdom to see just how much fun animal families have living life on the wild side.
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This Polar Bear cuddles her baby close, her thick claws and foreboding paws keeping a tight grip on her sweet little cub.
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David Lazar shot this stunning image of two lionesses living in the Masai Mara game reserve in Kenya. The two adoringly gaze at their baby sibling, with pride often reserved to parents.
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How cute are they?!?!
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This mama helps her baby to stay afloat as they go for a swim in the waters they call home.
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How about a nap now?
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Baby squirrels are so small and hairless you can hardly tell what they are–but this mama knows her baby when she sees him.
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What is under this mommy’s colorful wings–2 sleepy chicks!
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This is one strong possum carting around 6 babies on her back, while simultaneously scaling a fence–you go mom!
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“Wait up Ma!” This Fox hollers, clinging tight to his mommy’s bushy fox tail.
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Elephants are the only other species (besides us humans) that visits the graves of their deceased loved ones. You can only imagine how much love elephants have for their offspring. This adorable pair link trunks as they travel onward.
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How Bear-y cute are these two?!
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Parents always know best–this loving mother swan tucks her babies under her wings where they will stay warm and dry while traveling across the pond.
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Crocodiles are not often considered “cute” but despite their scaly skin and forbidding sharp teeth, turns out they are family-orienated! Udayan Rao Pawar, was voted Wildlife Photographer of the Year in 2013 after he snapped the photo below of a croc family. He camped out on the banks of the Chambal River in India in order to see 2 gharial crocodile colonies. While the animal sightings at the Chambal River are incredible, the area is threatened by illegal sand-mining and fishing.
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Play Time! This big mama finds her baby cub’s ticklish spots!
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Penguins use a buddy system to help watch over their young, adults take turns forming groups around baby penguins in order to keep them safe and warm.
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No butts about it, these two are definitely related.
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As mom and dad share a passionate embrace, the little one begs for some attention around here.
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Peek-a-Boo–Did someone say FISH?!?! These two grizzly bears play in deep water, baby isn’t afraid, she knows she has her mom there to protect her.
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“But I’m already clean!”
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Papa bear teaches his cub some things
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Has anyone seen my baby chick?
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While mama hunts for some food, baby decides now is a nice time to take a nap.
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When you become a parent (human or animal) you realize that the one thing greater than enjoying a good meal is feeding a good meal to your children.
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You might think this bird has one too many legs, but think again….
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Photo Credits: Anton Belovodchenko, DailymailUK, Jan Pelcman, Chuck Babbitt, hqwide,Pensivesquirrel.wordpress.com , Ric Seet, Jeanette DiAnda, Igor Shpilenok, Laurie Rubin, Tin Man, DailyMail, Udayan Rao Pawar, Daniel Munger, Frederuque Olivier/John Downer Productions, UKDailyMail, Wolfgang von Vietinghoff, Marco Mattiussi, Michael Nichols, Edwin Kats, Jim Ridley, Imgur, Andre Pretorius, Michael Milicia
21 Of The Best Nature Photo Entries To The 2014 National Geographic Photo Contest
Source: photography.nationalgeographic.com
Arctic Hi-Five (Svalbard, Nature Category)
“Two Polar bear cubs full of adrenaline on iceflow in Svalbard. The mother was just trying to have a quiet stroll but the cubs were not having any of that.This was the male cub and he just was so entertaining to watch.” (Photo credits: Colin Mackenzie)
Second Amendment right to bear arms within the structures of federal and state laws
By: Shibli Zaman
If you are willing to forfeit your U.S. Constitutional rights in order to make those who discriminate against you feel more at ease, then you deserve their prejudice and you don’t deserve your Constitutional rights.
SUBHANA’LLAH: POWERFUL PHOTOS CAPTURED IN THE WILD
These amazing photos show animals in a way that you’ve never seen them before. Each image serves as a reminder that we share the planet with some truly awe-inspiring creatures, created by Allah (God) May He be Glorified and Exalted.
Subhana’llah: Polar Bear (IMAGES)
Polar bears are only found in the Arctic. The most important habitats for polar bears are the edges of pack ice where currents and wind interact, forming a continually melting and refreezing matrix of ice patches and leads (open spaces in the ocean between sea ice). These are the areas of where polar bears can find the greatest number of seals. As the sea ice advances and retreats each season, individual polar bears may travel thousands of miles per year to find food. Polar bears are distributed throughout the Arctic region in 19 subpopulations, including Alaska, Canada, Russia, Greenland and Norway.
Baby Polar Bear (IMAGE)
1) Unlike some other at-risk mammals (such as tigers and rhinos), hunting is not the biggest threat to polar bears right now. They used to be heavily hunted, from the 1600s right through to the mid-1970s, but then strict regulations were agreed internationally to protect the survival of the species.
2) The big threat to polar bears now is climate change. Global warming means sea ice is melting earlier and forming later each year, leaving polar bears less time to hunt. A recent study (published in Nature, Feb 2011) shows polar bear litters are also decreasing in size because of sea ice decline. Many scientists believe polar bears could be gone from most of their current range within 100 years.
3) The polar bear is officially classified as ‘vulnerable’ by the IUCN – although the US government recently listed it as “threatened” under its own slightly different classification system. There are 20-25,000 polar bears in 19 groups across the Arctic area, more than half in northern Canada.
4) Polar bears actually have black skins and colourless hair – but those thick, hollow hairs reflect light to give its white-looking coat. Great camouflage in the snow, as well as being very effective insulation.
5) Polar bears like to keep themselves clean – probably because it helps the insulating properties of their fur. After feeding they’ll usually wash by taking a swim or rolling in the snow. They also roll in the snow to cool off.
6) Polar bears do overheat, despite their harsh environment. They’re superbly adapted to resist Arctic temperatures (which can dip to -50C), but the disadvantage is the risk of overheating, especially when running, or in balmy above-freezing summer temperatures.
7) Polar bears are excellent swimmers – their Latin name means ‘sea bear’. They can comfortably swim at around 6mph, using their front paws like oars while their hind legs are held flat like a rudder.
8) They have a pretty good sense of smell too – they can detect seals, their main food, from almost 1km away.
9) When first born, a polar bear cub is about the weight of an adult guinea pig. A cub stays near its mother for about two years. By the time it’s fully grown it can weigh over 500kg.
10) Less than 2% of a polar bear’s hunts are successful – despite their reputation as fearsome hunters (they’re the most carnivorous of the bear family), they expend a lot of energy in the process. And all that time and energy spent finding food will only increase as Arctic sea ice disappears and their prey (mostly seals) become harder to find.
PASS THE KNOWLEDGE (LIGHT & LIFE) 