'We're wild about our mums': From hippos to lemurs, animals all over the world gear up for Mother's Day with shows of affection

By DAVID BAKER

Sleepy: A hippopotamus family take a quick rest in Maasai Mara in Kenya

With plenty of people making last ditch efforts to buy a card or flowers this Mother's Day it is clear we can learn a lot from the animal kingdom.
Because while we rush around to make last minute plans these pictures show the heartwarming closeness between animal mums and their loved ones.
From an African baby hippo hitching a ride on its mum's back, to a lemur cradling its young, these loving shots have been released by an award-winning British photographer.

Pride and joy: An ostrich tries to keep its pride together as the sun goes down in Maasai Mara, Kenya

Motherly love: A mother koala gives her baby a lift in Kangaroo Island, Australia

Top photographer, Steve Bloom, 59, travelled to every continents to capture mothers and their pride and joy.
He said: 'I was attracted to the relationship between mothers and their babies.'
'In the wild each animal must fight to survive, but mothers have to think about their precious young as well as themselves.

A lick-le bit of love: Three tiger cubs are lavished with affection from this African lioness seen in Maasai Mara, Kenya

Hold on tight: A baby ring-tailed lemur is smothered by its loving mother (left) and a baby orangutan holds on to its mother

I flipping love you: An Emperor penguin offers an outstretched flipper to help its offspring in Coulman Island, Antarctica

Care: A lioness carefully carries its young by the neck (left) while two snow monkeys huddle to fend off the cold

'Despite the pressure they are under, like the hard-pressed mothers they are, they still find quality time for their young.
'These pictures show that no matter how hard things are even in the perilous animal kingdom, families still make the effort to bond together.
'In fact it is these very bonds that can make the difference between life and death and allow each species to continue to survive down the generations.

Hopping mad about you: A ring-tailed lemur mother carries its young to safety in this picture taken in Berenty, Madagascar

Mothering: An albatross feeds its young while an African elephant walks alongside its calf


Pandering to its child: This panda keeps a close eye on its child in Sichuan, China

'In this sense I think many of us humans can learn a lot from the creatures shown in these pictures.
'I compiled the best of the shots that show this in my book My Favourite Animal Families.'
He travelled across Africa capturing tigers, lemurs and monkeys with their offspring whilst he also covered Asia, Australasia and even Antarctica to get these stunning shots.

Bear hug: This brown bear mother keeps its young cubs close by in Katmai National Park, Alaska

Helping hand: A mother giraffe gives its baby a push in the right direction while a polar bear looks out for its two youngsters in the snow

Mother's Day: With Mother's Day just around the corner British photographer Steve Bloom has released pictures like this one of an African elephant with its calf

Fending off the cold: These polar bears huddle together at Cape Churchill in Manitoba, Canada

Monkeying around: A baby gorilla (left) doesn't seem to take its mother's close grip too seriously while an orangutan hitches a ride on its mum's shoulders

source :dailymail