Why do some animals care for their young?

Care of the young is important because it ensures that the young will grow up and be able to breed to continue species. Animals that do not care for their young, such as many kinds of fish, produce huge numbers of eggs in the hope that a few will survive and reach maturity. Similarly, babies that do not receive care from the parent become independent at an early stage. A newborn deer is able to stand and run about within a few hours, while a human baby takes many years of care before it is independent. Parental care is often easier among animals that live in groups. Lionesses, for instance, may share responsibility for care of their young, and so do gorillas and chimpanzees. Meercats, a small type of mongoose, have a system of care where a family of ‘aunts’ look after the babies for the whole troop.

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