Similar to humans, maternal instincts are strong among animals like sloth bears. According to the India-based non-profit organization Wildlife SOS, sloth bears carry their cubs all day until age two. 

Leopards are the same way. They are very protective of their younglings, who depend on their mothers for basic needs like food, protection, and shelter for the first couple of years of their lives.

Biparental care likewise exists in the animal kingdom, but the roles are sometimes reversed. For water birds like jacanas, the male does most of the work, which includes protecting their territory, looking for food, and teaching their younglings survival skills. 

The female, meanwhile, has several mates and is not at all involved in raising their offspring.

It’s almost a similar case with emperor penguins. The fathers usually gather food and teach their young to survive harsh weather conditions. The mothers leave the colony to allow their male counterparts to keep the eggs warm. 

The division of parental labor among barn owls is more similar to that of humans. The males are hunter-gatherers, while the females nurture and incubate the eggs.

Alloparenting also happens between animals. Female elephants, being matriarchal in nature, usually become foster parents to newcomers. 

Similarly, rhesus macaque monkeys form social bonds with each other and can quickly build familial relationships with orphaned babies.

We’d also like to hear from you, readers. Do you see similarities between human and animal parenting? How close or far apart are they? Let’s liven up the comments section!