Animal Parents Who Sacrifice Everything For Their Children

Published on 6/22/2015 at 5:35 PM

<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-3445658/stock-photo-mother-orangutan-with-her-cute-baby.html?src=_6WcFf-23JO6hoF_F0h0zQ-1-71">Shutterstock/Eric Gevaert</a>

Dolphin babies stay awake for a full month after birth, so mom stays awake with them.

Orangutans care for their children for eight years, longer than any other mammal outside of humans.

Polar bear moms put on roughly 400 pounds before pregnancy to provide fatty nutrients for their young.

Sea otters carry their babies on their chests for two months after giving birth, often requiring them to swim on their backs.

Though they look fearsome, alligators are gentle nurturers and will carry their young in their mouths and on their heads for up to a year.

Penguin dads hold their eggs between their feet for two months while they wait for the mom to return from feeding, all the while not eating any food of their own.

Marmoset dads will carry their young on their backs for weeks to help give mom a rest after birth.

Hippo moms are intent on protecting their babies and refuse to mate again until their children are big enough to get by on their own, which can lead to fights with male hippos who don't share their priorities.

Lion mamas must protect their cubs from males, so they spend the first six weeks hiding them in brush to keep them safe.

Elephant females raise their young as a group, but each mama has to carry to her baby for 22 months before she's born.

Gorillas will carry their offspring on their backs for weeks after birth, nurse them up to four years and nest with them for six. That's dedication right there.

Wolf pups are blind for the first two weeks of their lives and completely dependent upon their parents. Afterwards, the parents feed them by regurgitating their own meals.

Pangolins wait a month to introduce their children to the outside world and, when they do, the baby will ride on his mother's tail to get around.

While most birds only practice seasonal monogamy, many swans stay together for their entire lives in order to raise their offspring.