Mule deer - Mother of the year

The title of the best mother in the animal kingdom probably belongs to the mother deer, with them looking after the young children of other species.

A small deer, startled by the noise of the approaching wolf, cried out in fear. From valleys more than 480 meters away, vigilant mother deer - some are not even the same species as the young deer - rush to rescue, stand defended and ready to mortgage their lives until the guys hunt for prey.

Recent research on this courageous behavior shows that while all are running to save their own children, mother mule deer are even more powerful in that they are ready to protect the offspring of at least one other species. - White-tailed deer.

"The giraffes deal with the wolf, protect the young and even other adults throughout the year," said study author Susan Lingle, from the Department of Psychology at Lethbridge University in Canada.

Lingle and his colleagues observed this deer to deal with enemies on a large ranch in southern Alberta. First of all, they found that the mule deer worked together to create " kindergartens " for young children. If there is an enemy, usually a wolf, come, the mother deer will jump into action.

Deer mule . (Photo: Discovery)

The researchers tested the fear of the baby deer for both mother groups: white deer and white-tailed deer. While the group of white-tailed deer only responds to their own call, the deer has no distinctions.

The female mule often distinguishes children by combining elements of taste, observation and cries. While the taste only works at close distances, the distant mother must depend on observation and cries only - which makes them sometimes confused.

However, this confusion can bring some positive effect. Scientists believe that protecting all young children, regardless of their children, will help deer maintain the power of unrestrained struggle.

T. An