AP Photo Archives Giraffe Monique greets her two-week-old son Fahari with a tender lick in the giraffe enclosure at the Frankfurt/Main Zoo, Germany, July 30, 1999. After a gestation period of 452 days, the “little” giraffe was born on July 14, 1999, and is now over six feet tall and weighs 160 pounds.

Animals nurture just like humans

by Seth Norwood NOR01001@BYUI.EDU Scroll Staff

By looking at different animals and their nurturing techniques we can see that human mothers do the same things, but in a slightly different manner.

Elephant mothers and aunts will form a circle around a baby elephant to keep it safe from predators, according to www.nationalgeographic.com. A human mother, along with others, can form a “safety circle” until the baby grows and can be let out on its own.

In 1996 a cat named Scarlet went into a burning building and rescued her five kittens one by one. Scarlet came out with a singed coat, burnt paws and her eyes blistered shut, according to www.nationalgeographic.com.

In the same light and in the same year, a mother rescued her 5-year-old son from the bottom of the pool. He was blue in the face and she began CPR immediately and brought him back to life, according to www.cnn.com.

Guinea Pig mothers lick and clean their newborn babies immediately after birth, according to www.petsmart.com. Human mothers begin the process of bathing, cleaning and wiping their babies soon after birth.

Mother crocodiles will take their babies to the water to wash the sand off them after they hatch. Human mothers wash off drool, throw-up, baby food and wipe runny noses for years.

Equally similar to humans, dolphins form a very close bond with their babies by nursing them for almost two years. They never abandon their young ones even if they are caught in a fishing net. They often sacrifice their own lives to try and desperately save their babies, the National Geographic site also notes.

Human mothers, in a sense, nurse their babies until they leave the house, and in many cases some time after they leave the house. Mothers sacrifice their time and, in all reality, their lives to make sure their children grow up healthy and well.

Tiger mothers carry their cubs in their mouths to new dens every so often to protect them from other tigers, leopards and wild dogs while she is away getting food. In direct comparison, human mothers use babysitters, but not just any babysitter. It has to be one that they trust, especially if the child is a newborn, according to www.wildkingdom.com. Human mothers also give guidance and direction to their children as they grow up. She steers them away from evils and danger.

The Web site also informs that polar bear cubs are born in a snow den but never touch the ice and snow for a few months because they sleep and nurse on the mother’s belly.

Human mothers make sure their babies are always wrapped up in clothes or blankets, protecting them from the elements. Many times they let the baby sleep on their chest, according to www.paweekly.com.

Just as many animal mothers know their baby’s beck and call from anywhere, so does the human mother, who immediately attends to the baby’s needs, according to www.homegrowngoodness.com.

Animal mothers have a way with their young just as human mothers have a way with their young. Many similarities exist between them. To those who might be having trouble raising a child, ask those who have done it before what to do. If that doesn’t work, go to the zoo.