Independent Critters!
rely on others While some wild animals just expect to raise their young, others their young to raise themselves!
Harp Seals
Twelve days. That’s how much time Harp Seal pups get to spend with their mothers. We have to hand it to female Harp Seals though. During those 12 days, they’re pretty devoted mothers. They stick close to their pups, letting them suckle. As the pups are nursed, they gain about 2.2 kilograms of weight per day! The mothers, on the other hand, won’t eat a thing in all that time.
But then these Harp Seal pups are cut off! The mothers leave them behind on the ice so they can mate again. So how do the pups survive? Well, it’s actually pretty hard for them. They’re very vulnerable out there on the ice. And they will stay on the ice for nearly two months! Eventually, they will be ready to take their first plunge into the water to start hunting for food all on their own.