According to momjunction.com, the 9 best qualities of a father are as follows: 1) He is protective, 2) He is affectionate, 3) He is a source of encouragement, 4) He is a good listener, 5) He provides necessities, 6) He respects the mother of his children, 7) He makes time to spend time with his children, 8) He is a teacher by example, and meeting the above criteria, He then naturally, #9) envelops his family in trust and security.
When you type into the internet, "Who make the best fathers in the world", this link pops up from the History Channel, giving you an opportunity to look back at some of history's best, and worst fathers. https://www.history.com/news/historys-best-and-worst-dads
When you type into the internet, "Who make the best fathers in the animal world", well now we're talking. There are many different animals species in the animal kingdom that are good, even great fathers. We'll focus on a few, and you can explore as many as you like on your own.
Lions live in groups known as prides. The top lion protects his lionesses and cubs from outside lions, and other threats trying to push in on their territory. Some lions have been known to be impatient, even cruel to their cubs, but here is a story from the Dodo explaining how three brothers have taken things into their own paws, and are making it work for their pride: https://www.thedodo.com/lion-brothers-father-pride-1207737122.html
Penguins, like the Emperor Penguin, make excellent fathers, some may say the best in the animal kingdom. But some recent reports have shown that the Emperor Penguin father may take breaks to find food, leaving the egg unprotected. I'll let you decide. Here are two links showing both sides of the story:
Seahorses are wonderful fathers, because they are the pregnant one. They fertilize and carry the eggs in their abdominal pouches made from extra skin. Studying the seahorse has become easier with advances in technology, helping us understand the un-understandable. The seahorse even won the father of the year award in 2019 in the ocean kingdom.
Gorillas live in families called troops. These troops contain anywhere from five to thirty gorillas. Each troop is protected by one silverback, dominate male. The silverbacks protect, find food, and have even been known to destroy the ensnaring nets that are set to trap the gorillas by poachers. The dynamic is fragile though, especially if another young male mates with a female of the silverback or tries to move in on the troop. These links shows the many ways the silverback looks after, and protects his family: https://www.wsj.com/articles/for-gorillas-being-a-good-dad-is-sexy-1543508781
Red Foxes also make the list of good fathers for this father's day blog. Red foxes live in what are known as skulks, and their young are known as kits. Spring is the best time to see foxes. Usually they stay secluded from humans, but if you happen to be in the right place at the right time, they can be seen frolicking and playing near the edges of wooded areas. I have been lucky enough to see a family of foxes frolicking on our property. Here is a great link to better understand this playful mammal: https://allthingsfoxes.com/red-fox-babies/
African Wild Dogs also make the list, they are not only good fathers, but they are altruist with the pack they live in. The elder dogs in the pack will forego eating so the younger of the pack have plenty, sometimes leading to the death of the older pack member.
Frogs and Toads make the good father list because they guard the brood from predators, and some toad species even watch over the brood until they have outgrown the tadpole stage. Here are some fascinating, fun facts about frogs and toads that blew my mind.
The Greater Flamingo father will sit on a nest for 96% of the time, whereas the female spends 94% of her time sitting on the nest. Flamingos mate for life, and the father helps the mother pick a nesting site and helps with building the nest from mud. They work together, like many other species of animals, to insure their young have the best start at life. Full grown Flamingos have few natural predators, but their babies have many. Learn more about these beautiful birds at:
More fun facts about flamingos for the kids:
For more fun and interesting facts about the best fathers in the animals world, check out these cool websites to learn more about their species, and how we can learn to be better people by learning from our animal friends.
https://www.nathab.com/blog/the-9-best-dads-in-the-animal-kingdom/
Happy Father's Day to all Dads out there around the world. But one big shout out goes to my own Father on this Father's Day of 2021. Glad you are here to read the blog, and share in my love of the planet and those beautiful species that make her more colorful and inspiring. I love you Dad. Happy Father's Day from me.