23 Animal Moms That Conquered Us With Their Tenderness

Maternal instinct is probably one of the strongest feelings that animals and humans alike can experience. No wonder elephants endure 22-month pregnancies and crocodiles carry their offspring more gently than they breathe. After all, the way the motherly instinct is expressed is truly magical, whether it’s a lioness licking her cub or a monkey tenderly holding its baby.

We collected 23 absolutely adorable photos of animal mothers with their children that will make you want to call your mom.

1. This lemur mom carrying her children is heart-warming.

2. A lioness’ son is one of the most patient animals on the planet.

3. Look at this baby hiding in its mom’s fur.

4. The kiss of the zebra mom and daughter is so full of love, we’re crying.

5. If you want your heart to melt, just look at the photo below.

6. A protective meerkat mom won’t let anything happen to her child.

7. These llamas tenderly hugging is everything we needed to see in our lives.

8. There is always time for food.

9. It seems she’s telling her baby a cute story.

10. Sheep look so happy smiling at each other.

11. The way moms carry kittens around has always been the funniest.

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امومة .. ? للمزيد من الصور تابعونا ? @karam_ouda

A post shared by كرم ? (@karam_ouda) on May 13, 2017 at 9:40am PDT

12. Cutely intertwined tails are one of the most interesting expressions of love.

13. These hippos are sleeping together so peacefully, we started yawning just looking at them.

14. Look at this baby being hugged by his loving mom.

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? from animalsworld.us ????? ~ double tap ❤❤ ??Shop for Cat Lovers ? @lnstadogclub bio #catloversclub

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15. You can almost see this family smiling.

16. All aboard the mother ship!

17. This camel daughter is probably trying to warm up her nose under her mom’s chin.

18. She’s probably explaining how to hunt in the snow.

19. They’re holding our hearts in their tiny hands.

20. This is probably one of the most tender gestures in the world.

21. Here the cub is not that patient. “Mom, just let me go, I can clean myself just fine!”

22. This baby rhino is gently looking at its mom and we want to see them in person.

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Happy World Rhino Day! Three of the five rhino species are critically endangered, but it's not too late. Together, we can save rhinos. To find out how you can help, visit the River's Edge Trail from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, September 23. Come celebrate Moyo’s first #WorldRhinoDay. ?

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23. And, well, like mother like child.

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Surprise! #TGIF from the #muppets…errr tawny frogmouths! #birdistheword #sayahhh

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All moms have their own parenting methods.

And they’re all inseparable from their kids.

They want to hide them from adversity.

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Time to upsize the downstairs rumpus room? #kangaroo #busselsbushlandcottages #margaretriver #westernaustralia #seeaustralia #seewesternaustralia #kangaroopouch #kangaroojoey

A post shared by Quentin Chester (@quentinchester) on Nov 4, 2018 at 5:52pm PST

Sometimes a mom can be a pillow…

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It's a sickening news day for Americans today, but here's something that I hope brings a little light into your life. It's Sea Otter Awareness Week, and we can all help sea otters and the other animals that share their ocean home. Our habits make a huge difference. Here's what you can do to help otters: Keep up to date with otter news at seaotters.com Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! Reduce your plastic consumption and don’t use single-use plastic bags and bottles Dispose of hazardous waste properly by taking those items to your local hazardous waste site Be conscientious of everything that you put down your drain since most of it will eventually make its way back into rivers, streams, and the ocean. Use non-toxic, environmentally friendly household cleaners and detergents Landscape (greenscape) your yard! Planted areas absorb rainwater which helps reduce runoff into storm drains. Eliminate your use of pesticides and fertilizers. Instead use organic gardening techniques and plant native species that require less water. Don’t dump anything into storm drains! Everything that enters a storm drain flows directly into streams, rivers and ultimately the ocean. Inspect your car regularly for leaks and if you change your oil yourself, recycle it. If you can wash your car on an unpaved surface if you don’t take it to a carwash. Don’t hose down your driveway and sidewalk, sweep them. Pick up after your dog Use less and buy less stuff to slow down your contribution to the waste stream and landfills Use less water When purchasing goods, opt for sustainable, recycled, biodegradable, compostable, organic products whenever possible. Buy from companies that care about the environment. Save energy at home and switch to renewable power sources if you can. Buy local and organic products Volunteer for a beach cleanup or organize one of your own Learn more about ocean issues and share what you learn with others Make smart seafood choices Make a donation to the California Sea Otter Fund. #seaotterpup #seaotter #babyanimals #cuteanimals #seaotterawarenessweek #wildlife_addicts #wildifeplanet #wildlifeonearth

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…and sometimes she’s more like a playground.

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In celebration of Mother’s day! Grizzly bears mothers are extremely patient and affectionate with their newborns. #mothersday #motherday #climatechagne #NikonEurope #nikon #lpstorytellers #lowepro #loweprobags #cangeotravel #cangeo #sharecangeo #gitzoinspires #frametheextraordinary #Framedongitzo @gitzoinspires @nikon @lowepro #conservation #explore #exploretheworld #wildplanet #nature #gratitude #natgeo #EarthCapture #BBCEarth #natgeowild #EarthonLocation #yesBBCEarth

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All mothers enjoy the moment when kids sleep.

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Bianca & son #Saluki #salukisofinstagram #salukipuppy #puppy #motherhood #motherlove #dogmom #dogslover #puppyfever #purelove ##animalmom #animal #pet #szczeniak? #szczeniak #cub #dogs_of_instagram #puppies #puppylove #purebreed #dogsaround #smalldog #szczeniaczek

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And they endure their bad behavior.

Babies’ laughter is a present for moms.

They appreciate care…

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Soft Leopard Mother receiving a "cat wash" ?????

A post shared by Jon Langeland, Oslo (@leftjohn) on Dec 17, 2016 at 8:50am PST

…and each kiss and hug makes them feel happy.

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Patience ~ Red fox vixen and her kits. Photographed this past spring in my hometown. // Vulpes vulpes . . . . . . #foxfriday #redfox #foxlover #roamtheplanet #vulpesvulpes #wildplanet #wildlifeIG #wildlifeonearth #wildlifeowners #wildlifeIG #animal_sultans #becausetheymatter #ourplanetdaily #wildlife_perfection #nature_brilliance #explorecanada #followmeto #naturesbestphotomagazine #sharecangeo #canadiancreatives #opcmag #natureNB #conservethewonder #cangeotravel #yourshotphotographer #explorecanada #foxesofinstagram #thecanidprojet #earthcapture #earthfocus #canoncanada #canon5dmarkiv @bbcearth @wildgeography @wildlife.hd @canon_photos @canoncanada @cangeo @wildlife @canon_photos @thecanidproject @natgeowild @cwf_fcf @canada @wildlifeplanet @wildlifepage @roamtheplanet @naturesbestphotomagazine @animal_sultans @splendid_animals @canada @national.earth @natgeoyourshot @nature_brilliance @animalplanet @naturesbestphotomagazine @nature

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Moms share with a child all the good…

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❤️ Happy #MothersDay from our family to yours! #firstfriends #wesavespecies

A post shared by Smithsonian's National Zoo (@smithsonianzoo) on May 13, 2018 at 7:05am PDT

…and all the bad moments.

Mothers lead her kids to new heights.

But they never leave their sides.

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Wishing all the Mother's of all species a very Happy Mother's day ?❣?? #happymothersday #mothersday #animalmoms #dolphins #longbeakedcommondolphin #cetaceans #wildlifemoms #amazinganimals @dolphinsplanet #wildlifephotography #nature #nature_brilliance #ocean #oceananimals #love #instagood #happy #wildlife_perfection

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She is an example to follow.

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Sometime it is more important to know whom to follow than where to go! ?????? Happy Friday ! ???

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And she also provides reliable support.

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“Hitching a ride” – In this particular episode a mother was resting with her two young cubs in a day den on her way to the pack ice to hunt. Day dens tend to be in wind-protected areas, where snowdrifts and trees form a natural shelter. Mama bear remained calm as our vehicle approached the location giving us the opportunity to photograph both her and the cubs for several hours before she suddenly decided it was time to leave. She flopped downhill in deep snow when one of her two cubs decided it was more convenient to hitch a ride on mama’s behind. The cub jumped up and held on with a firm bite on mama’s furry backside — a charming and totally unexpected behaviour. Wildlife photography is all about patience and perseverance. Despite the challenging conditions and long hours waiting for something to happen, the experience of witnessing something so rare is beyond price. #explorecanada #cangeotravel #cangeo #sharecangeo #jsn.ptrsn #enjoycanada #paradisecanada #tourcanada #imagesofcanada #ParksCanada #polarbear #wapusknationalpark #climatechange #gratitude #natgeo #EarthCapture #BBCEarth #natgeowild #EarthonLocation #yourshotphotographer #ourplanetdaily #fantastic_earth #roamtheplanet #nikonNoFilter #NikonEurope #lowepro #cangeotravel #cangeo #sharecangeo

A post shared by Daisy Gilardini (@daisygilardini) on Jan 11, 2018 at 9:29am PST

Motherhood is hard work.

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A shout out to the new mom's in our family. Moms are angels for everything they do and everything they sometimes put up with ?. I couldn't help but smile as I watched this cub practice his hunting skills on his mom. Her face says it all. Love you Mom ❤️. @suricatasafaris #serengetinationalpark #serengeti #safari #travelafrica #wildlifephotography #lioncub #lion #animalmom #cute #tanzania

A post shared by Jacob Boden (@jbodenphotography) on Sep 25, 2018 at 8:30am PDT

And because moms do it well…

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Hungry Cubs – shot in the Maasai Mara as two young cubs look up at their mother as they wanted to drink and she stood up. Www.coopernaturephotos.com #africa #maasaimara #lion #photosafari #wildlife #wildlifephotography #trierenbergsupercircuit #instadaily #picoftheday #bbc #natgeo #wildlife.hd #splendid_animals #exclusive_wildlife #jaw_dropping_shots #cuteanimalsplus #earthofficial #photooftheday #earthofficial

A post shared by Neal Cooper (@nealcooperphotography) on Dec 3, 2015 at 11:13am PST

…kids can be relaxed!

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For most of my adult life I’ve known and admired Jane Goodall and her late husband Hugo van Lawick’s work in National Geographic magazines, films, and books they have done. I have always dreamed of going to what is now called Gombe National Park, on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, in Tanzania, where Jane and Hugo did much of their studies of chimpanzees. Jane went there as a young woman of 26, in 1960, to study and do research on chimpanzees. Now in it’s 58th year, it’s the longest research study of wildlife in the world. • Although Jane and I have been good friends for nearly twenty years, this past June was the first time I was able to go with her to Gombe, where it all began. It was and will remain one of the most memorable times of my life. Walking in her “footsteps” and experiencing some of Jane’s favorite places like the “Peak”, the “Waterfall,” and of course observing and photographing my first chimps, many of whom are descendants of those Jane studied and knew so well, was simply magical. • Going to Gombe gave me an even greater appreciation for Jane’s fortitude, passion, respect, and the sacrifices she made then and continues to make today, not only to save chimps and all wildlife and wild places, but to better understand ourselves, and what we must do to preserve our tiny planet as we know it. Thank you Jane! • “Laid Back” is one of three new Limited Edition prints of chimpanzees debuting at tomorrow’s artist reception at the Jackson Mangelsen – Images of Nature Gallery. If you’re in the area, I hope to see you there!

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Not to mention playful and carefree.

A mom is defined as love and protection.