Let’s face it: fathers have a hard job. Making sure your offspring are taken care of is no small feat! Today, we’re saying thanks for all the hard work and “Happy Father’s Day” to some of the wildest dads out there.
Golden Lion Tamarin
This monkey, named for its golden mane, lives on the Atlantic coast in Brazil. The lion tamarin dad has a hard job to fill since the species is endangered, and every monkey baby is important for survival. The tamarin dad carries his babies (usually twins) on his back once they are old enough to hold on. He also takes care of the infants, only handing them off to the mother one at a time during feeding.
Seahorse
A seahorse dad pulls his weight (literally!) by holding his young in a pouch on his body until they are ready to hatch. From courtship to birth, his job can last from 9-45 days, and he can carry from five to as many as 2500 eggs in each cycle! The survival rate of the little seahorses is low, which is often why the number of eggs is so many—however, once the young have left, the seahorse father can enter courtship as early as the next day. That’s a lot of fathering! One of the best places to spot some seahorse papas in Belize, Australia, and New Zealand.
Flamingo
The flamingo pop is an equal opportunity parent, sharing all duties including nest building, protection, and feeding with his partner. He even produces crop milk from glands lining the upper digestive tract! Typically, mom and dad stick around protecting the nest for six days, after which their chicks begin to explore and eventually form microcrèches, or groups of chicks. Once the microcrèche is established, dad (and mom) leave the chicks alone and go back to their group. You can check out amazing flocks of flamingos on the Yucatan Penninsula!
Emperor Penguin
An emperor penguin papa has a super tough go of it, especially since he takes over once his mate lays their egg in arctic temperatures. Once the egg has been transferred from mom to dad, mom’s strength is depleted and she heads out to sea to feed. Dad then incubates the egg, keeping it on top of his feet or in his brood pouch, while huddling with the other dads to keep warm. Hatching can take 65-75 days, and once the chick hatches, dad is still on duty to keep his baby warm and fed. While dad hasn’t had any food during this time, he (like the flamingo and pigeon) can produce crop milk to feed his chick until mom returns with food.
Human
We can’t leave our favorite dad-imal off the list, our very own fathers! Dad has always been there for us as a coach, friend, leader, teacher, and just plain old father figure. From hugs to band-aids to life lessons, he‘s been around to guide us through the world. Be sure to tell your dad how much he means to you—you don’t have to wait until Father’s Day to say it!