Human dads aren’t the only ones who should be celebrated this Father’s Day. There are excellent father figures throughout the entire animal kingdom! Here are 10 of the most dedicated animal dads you’ll see in nature.
#1 – Emperor Penguin
Emperor penguin moms are incredibly dedicated to their young, risking their lives right away to provide for their families. Yet, these penguin fathers deserve some recognition too. After the mom lays an egg, she goes out to hunt, leaving the father to protect the egg and keep it warm.
The father waits with the egg for two months, unable to eat food until the mom returns. The babies hatch while the dad is watching them, and the dad’s warmth is what keeps them alive the whole time. These loyal dads then go on their own hunting journey once the mom penguins return.
#2 – Seahorse
Seahorses are the only dads in the animal kingdom known to give birth. They have a pouch that the females deposit their eggs into, and then the male fertilizes and incubates the eggs. The dads carry the eggs for up to 45 days, and then tiny seahorses are born. It might not be as painful as the births most females have to endure, but male seahorses have even been known to experience contractions!
#3 – Bullfrog
Most frogs are pretty excellent dads, especially since they have to look after thousands of eggs at once. African Bullfrogs are one of the many frog species that have a unique way of keeping the eggs safe: by swallowing them! They have vocal sacs inside them that can protect eggs for up to six weeks. Once the eggs are ready to hatch, they spit them back out. Not quite like a seahorse birth but still incredibly dedicated.
#4 – Marmoset
Don’t let the cuteness of these tiny primates fool you. They know how to raise their children right. Marmosets live in groups, where the dads take their jobs very seriously. They groom, feed, and carry the children of the group. They’re also very helpful during their child’s birth, but the mother grows uninterested in the babies shortly after that.
#5 – Lion
Lion dads are the kings of the jungle, but they could also win some father of the year awards. While male lions can be greedy when it comes to food, they make up for it with their protective instincts. A lion can see five times better than a human can, so if a father’s cubs are in danger, he’s quick to fight back. Lions can also hear prey up to two miles away, making them excellent at providing for their families.
#6 – Jacana
Jacanas are birds that expect the dads to do most of the heavy lifting. Fathers make the nests, incubate the eggs, and look after the chicks once they’ve hatched. The mothers usually leave the family behind after laying the eggs and sometimes return to try to destroy the eggs. Luckily, the males are strong protectors and won’t let a soul harm their precious children. Sometimes, the babies aren’t even the dad’s biological chicks, but he still loves them like a father should.
#7 – Rhea
Rheas are another bird species worthy of a best dad gift. Like penguins, male rheas are in charge of incubating and caring for the eggs. Even if a rhea has multiple female partners, they will still remain loyal and look after all their eggs. In two months, one male Rhea could incubate up to 60 eggs! As if that wasn’t loyal enough, these birds also work as single parents for about two years of their children’s lives.
#8 – Giant Water Bug
Water bugs might not look pretty, but that doesn’t stop them from becoming great dads. Female water bugs place their eggs on the back of a male. Then, the males carry up to 150 eggs until they hatch. You definitely don’t want to mess with these fathers because they can deliver a painful bite if threatened. They can even paralyze prey, so their children will never go hungry.
#9 – Gorilla
Like lions, gorillas are proud leaders of their groups. A gorilla father is often in charge of caring for about 30 other gorillas. He finds food for his family and protects them at all costs. While he loves his children, he respects their mother more than anything, so he always offers her food first. Other male gorillas sometimes try to kill other gorilla babies, so the father is on high alert to fight off these threats.
#10 – Wolf
“Raised by wolves” isn’t the insult you think it is. Wolves can actually make great parents. The mom and dad wolves lead their pack of cubs and teach them how to survive. The female wolf stays with her cubs for seven weeks after they’re born while the dad stands guard outside the den. He also hunts for food to share with the cubs, bringing them fresh meat that the mom isn’t able to provide during her protective duties.
