They are not celebrated or recognized on May 10, but their dedication, patience and love are present at all times and selflessly with their offspring.
And although between each species, herd and ecosystem the codes and ways can change radically, being a mother in the animal kingdom is, in essence, just as important, loving and unconditional as in the human species.
Despite the various evolutionary points of view, speciesist theories or multiple biological perspectives, the common denominator points to the fact that all living beings (plants, insects and microorganisms included) have a common history, so it is not strange to explain our own becoming patterns, similarities and even differences compared to the animal kingdom, one in which the mother figure is as important or more important than that of human beings.
With few exceptions, mammalian motherhood is always reminding us of our own.
In his book Small mammal.
The human puppy and other infants (Ediciones Martínez Roca, 2017), the neonatologist at the Joan XXIII Hospital in Tarragona, Spain, Adolfo Gómez Papí, affirms that the similarities of instinctive patterns, care, even attitudes and qualities with the little more than 5,500 species of mammals recorded on the planet go beyond the obvious.
According to the specialist, despite certain biological differences, just like us, all mammals gestate and are suckled, have hair, warm blood and four heart chambers or certain coincidences in cranial bones.
This makes us recognize motherhood as a determining universal value for life and necessary to face the world, one in which to learn to obtain shelter, food, defend oneself from latent dangers or develop certain skills to live in a group), suggest survival, through a work of patience and dedication on the part of the mother towards her puppies.
If we take a look at the animal kingdom, we will discover that mothers have not received training or information somewhere to prepare themselves to preserve and protect their species, sometimes reaching incredible extremes.
Relentless Defenders
If we look for an example of unconditional protection and that motherhood is also a job that yields the best results in a team or through a support network, elephants can teach us a lot and about it, since herds of females and children usually travel together and in a circle, with the youngest member of the group inside, to protect it from stalking predators.
If a baby elephant is orphaned, the rest of the herd will adopt it.
When a mother elephant loses her calf, just like us a grieving mother elephant behaves depressed for days, while the herd creates a burial for their dead.
There is even a record that years later, some elephants return to visit the site where one of their own has died.
Do you remember all those testimonies of mothers awake, sleeping a few hours to attend to the crying or take care of the health of their baby?
Giraffes can tell us about being vigilant so that nothing bad happens to their young.
Just 30 minutes of sleep is enough for watchful giraffe moms.
And when one goes to look for food, the other giraffes will take care of the young.
In correspondence, the instinct of attachment on the part of babies is so strong and evident that we will almost always see them wait for hours in the last place where they saw their mother, until she arrives home completely safe and sound.
Polar bears, lions, leopards, tigers, gorillas and even spiders also have a strong maternal instinct that is just as vital as that of humans from three primary objectives to preserve life: protect, feed and teach fend for himself.
food and independence
As with humans, the stage of lactation is decisive for the primary development of the offspring.
It is curious to note that the natural differences in time between each species often determines the type of relationship with the mother or the way in which they will face the world.
It is not for nothing that whales are considered one of the most respected and amazing matriarchs of the animal kingdom.
It's no surprise that the whale is among the greatest matriarchs on the planet, as sperm whales nurse their young for over two years, sparking a long-lasting close bond with their offspring.
The time and dedication of the orcas throughout their lives will result in an unparalleled union, since the calf will be separated from its mother for only a few hours to feed and mate.
A different case is that of the seal, which is suckled for 12 days in a row without stopping, during which time the mother does not eat a single bite and loses an average of 3.18 kilograms per day.
In contrast, seal milk can contain up to 50% fat, so the pups gain weight rapidly, about 5 pounds a day.
When the young are around 38 kilograms, the mother will abruptly leave the baby to fend for itself.
It must be able to adapt and survive this transition quickly and efficiently.
As soon as they are left to figure out how to dive and fish for their food on their own, the hatchlings are left to fend for themselves.
This engineering of feeding and primary preparation is far from the species that do not resort to gestation via the uterus and placenta.
Marsupials like kangaroos, koalas or Tasmanian devils are a great example.
Despite the fact that their gestation period is relatively short (in many cases only weeks), the mothers provide food and protection against predators during a long period of lactation inside their special bags, even almost a year with certain species, time in the that babies gain weight up to 2,000 times.
For its part, the oviparous side condenses all the nutrients necessary for the development of its young from day one on the walls of its eggs.
After the laying of eggs by the mother, some parents consider their work completed, although others continue to defend the eggs and provide newborn food for the babies.
Between maternal similarities and variations full of unconditional dedication, exceptions also exist.
In a few species, the male is the one who provides the primary care, as in the case of seahorses, where we find male pregnancy, an example also where the care function of the mother seahorse ends once it has deposited their eggs in the male's pouch.
Whether in the animal kingdom or in the human species, these examples tell us that motherhood is complex, powerful, but above all diverse and essential for life in practically all its forms.