A mother orangutan holding her baby close, in a refuge on the island of Borneo. Photo by Sally Kneidel
I wish a safe Mother’s Day to all the wildlife mothers across the world. Especially the world’s primates, most of which are threatened or endangered.
Primates are special, for me. Most animal mothers don’t provide any maternal care whatsoever. Instead, they lay eggs and abandon them, never seeing their own babies. That includes most (but not all) fish, reptiles, amphibians, insects, crustaceans, and lots of others. Sounds cruel, but it’s not. The hatchlings in those cases are equipped to fend for themselves. It’s nature’s way. Mortality is high, but the mother lays lots of eggs, so it works out. (When humans stay out of the way, that is.)
Birds and mammals are different as a group in that they all provide some degree of maternal care for their young. Bird and mammal moms invest huge amounts of energy into feeding their young, cleaning them, keeping them warm, protecting them from predators, and so on.
Long-tailed Macaque mother and child in Sacred Monkey Forest in Bali. Photo by Sally Kneidel
I love seeing primates and their babies. To me, primates share our essence — they can be tender, loving, playful, and smart. But unlike humans, they’re innocent. They’re not destroying the planet!
Mother and child, White-faced Capuchins in Costa Rica. Photo by Sally Kneidel
Today, on Mothers Day, I’m celebrating some of the primate mothers and babies I’ve photographed around the world. These pics were taken in some of my happiest moments – seeing primates doing their own thing in their natural habitats. I am very grateful for those opportunities.
Help protect the world for animals that can’t fight back. Work to stop habitat destruction due to global warming. One way to do that is to get involved with Greenpeace (https://www.facebook.com/greenpeacenc). I recommend it. Greenpeace is a hard-working, dedicated group of people I’m proud to volunteer with.
A White-handed Gibbon and her youngster, on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.
