As we celebrate Mother's Day around the country, it's an ideal time to think about some of nature's most amazing mothers, who dedicate as much care and devotion to their offspring as human parents.
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Orangutans top the World Wildlife Fund's list of amazing animal mums. As with human babies, orangutan youngsters are utterly helpless when they are born, relying completely on their mothers for everything from food to shelter and protection.
While this is the same for all great apes, others such as chimpanzees, bonobos and gorillas have an extended family or group structures which can lend a hand in the toddler-raising stakes.
Orangutans and their young are inseparable for anywhere from six to eight years and these single mums will teach them everything they need to know to survive. Orangutans have also been known to visit their mothers until they reach the age of 16, a sign of just how resilient this bond is.
As with orangutans, big cats like cheetahs, tigers and leopards also go it alone in raising their cubs, with cheetahs caring for between two and six youngsters at a time.
These delicate beauties will spend 18 months raising their babies solo, teaching them the critical hunting techniques vital to their very existence.
When it comes to life on the plains, cubs need to be fast and skillful and so every minute with mum counts. Cheetahs often fall victim to predators and mothers must be clever and courageous in protecting their babies.
They will move them every few days and with as little as 40 per cent of hunts ending in kills, every day is a struggle.
MORE LIFESTYLE:
In Australia, it takes a wombat around two years to raise their single, or rarely twin, offspring, with up to 10 months of that time carting them around in their pouch. You won't find a much closer bond than that.
Once the joey leaves the pouch he or she will then stay with mum at foot until old enough to find their own territory during which time they will learn about all things wombat.
One surprising addition to this list has to be the crocodile.
These animals, while striking terror into the hearts of humans, can be incredibly tender parents.
Even before young crocodiles come into the world, their mother will fiercely guard the nest and when the baby crocs begin to hatch and call, the mother crocodile helps dig them out.
She then ferries them to the water gently in her mouth, and many crocodile species will guard their offspring for the next several weeks, giving them the best start they can.
So it's clear that whether they have four legs or two, mums of all species leave a lasting legacy of love and sacrifice.
Happy Mother's Day