10 Bizarre Animal Parent Behaviours You Won't Believe Exist

It is common to believe that one's parents were harsh, but a broader perspective can be gained by observing the negligent behaviour of certain animals. Below are some animals that are going to leave you in awe with respect to their relationship with offspring.

FEMALE HORSES:

Female horses, or mares, have a gestation period of approximately a year, which may seem lengthy, but elephants exceed this duration by carrying their young for up to 22 months before giving birth. Mares display a unique behaviour during pregnancy, where they engage in mating with multiple stallions, even though they are already pregnant. This seemingly meaningless behavior serves the purpose of safeguarding the foal from potential harm, as stallions are known to be aggressive towards unfamiliar young. By mating with multiple stallions, the true father of the foal remains unknown, ensuring its safety. However, this behaviour places mares at the bottom of the list in terms of parental care. This is just the beginning, buckle up.

FEMALE CUCKOO BIRDS:

Female Cuckoo birds are notorious for abandoning their chicks before they even hatch. They lay their eggs in the nests of other birds and depart, leaving the foster parents to care for the foundlings. This often leads to chaos and losses for the foster parents, as the Cuckoo chicks grow faster and outcompete the native chicks.

SPARROWS:

Sparrows, typically known for their cuteness, exhibit a darker side when it comes to parenting. Female house sparrows, although caring mothers, can turn into furious stepmothers, destroying the nests of their partner's other mates to ensure their own offspring receive the necessary attention.

HARP SEALS:

Harp seals display dedicated care towards their pups during the first two weeks of life, nursing and feeding them tirelessly. However, after this brief period, mother seals abandon their offspring on the ice to fend for themselves. This abrupt separation leaves the young pups vulnerable and at risk of predation as they lack necessary skills for survival. Similarly, hamsters, despite their cuddly appearance, possess a dark secret in their parenting habits. In some cases, female hamsters may mistake their own offspring for prey and consume them, a behaviour that remains a mystery to scientists.

BLACK BEAR:

Black bears exhibit a peculiar form of negligence in parenting, as mothers may abandon a single cub in hopes of producing a larger litter the following year. This lazy approach to parenting contrasts with the efforts of other species to ensure the survival of their offspring. Pandas, known for their cute and fluffy appearance, also display negligent behaviors by focusing their care on only one of their twin cubs, neglecting the other to fend for itself. This behaviour stems from the nutritional limitations of bamboo, their primary food source, which prevents them from lactating sufficiently for both cubs.

MONKEYS:

Monkeys, specifically moustache tamarins, exhibit cold-hearted behaviours towards their offspring, including ignoring their cries and even throwing them out of trees. These actions remain puzzling to researchers, as the motives behind such behaviors are unclear. While some mother tamarins may provide adequate care in the presence of a supportive social group, they may neglect their offspring when no assistance is available.

RABBITS:

Rabbits, often associated with warmth and cuddles, exhibit a surprising level of neglect towards their newborns. Rabbit mothers tend to abandon their burrows shortly after giving birth, leaving the young bunnies to face challenges on their own. This behaviour is believed to confuse predators and keep them away from the vulnerable offspring. Reptiles, known for their practical approach to life, also display negligent parenting behaviours, as seen in long-tailed skinks that consume their own eggs when threatened by predators.

CONCLUSION:

Overall, these examples of negligent animal parenting shed light on the diverse behaviours observed in the animal kingdom. Each species demonstrates unique approaches to caring for their young, ranging from dedicated care to outright neglect. By studying such behaviours, we gain a better understanding of the intricacies of parenthood across different species. Which animal surprised you? Comment down below

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