Celebrate Father's Day: How Wild Animal Dads Care for Their Young

For Father's Day, we're taking a look into the lives of those that roam the world's rainforests, pastures, and unturned leaves; the less-documented father figure's actions in the wild. Despite that, biological anthropologist Stacy Rosenbaum calls attention to the ways animal dads care for their young that are truly extraordinary.

While male seahorses quite literally embody parenthood by taking on 100 percent of parenting responsibilities, African bullfrogs live each day guarding the eggs that female frogs fertilize, fighting off any rivals or predators. Once their young are born, both of these species raise and protect with their lives.

As the defender of their offspring, African bullfrogs do everything in their power to keep their little ones safe from all danger. Be it a predator or the blazing hot sun; these father bullfrogs have learned to dig irrigation ditches for their kids that act both as travel routes to more water or shelter from the outside world.

Red fox fathers are fierce protectors of their kin and their territory. Once their mate births their offspring, the father red fox immediately takes on the job of finding food for their family. When the pups leave their dens, they learn from their dads about how to hunt, pounce, and run.

While these dads take on the sometimes short-term responsibility of teaching their kiddos the ropes once they're ready for the rest world, long-haul albatrosses commit to a life of raising their young. Though these birds spend most of their lives at sea, they consistently return to their lifelong partner and island.

Female long-haul albatrosses create one egg every other year, meaning that each one is very special and gets both parents' attention from birth to when it's ready to spread its own wings. Together, the male and female albatrosses will raise their young, with the father being the primary breadwinner.

Throughout his approximate 50-year lifespan, a male albatross will raise hundreds of babies. This long-term parenting goes practically unmatched by any species, including humans. So, as we thank the father figures in our lives today, let's not forget to appreciate all of those in the wild as well!