The voice of the wildebeest mama

Do animals show characteristics of human beings, like compassion, love, nurturing and protectiveness? How can mother animals recognize their young ones and how does a young wildebeest manage not to lose it’s mother, while there are thousands of other wildebeest around? The  calves need their mother’s constant attention and therefore close contact is essential. The mother animal uses her four senses to recognize her young one, smell, sound, touch and sight. When the Wildebeest calf is born the mama will lick her new-born and within minutes the calf will be on its feet. It will try to drink, but the mother may move away at this point, which will encourage the calf to follow closely. The imprinting process starts with the first successful suckling. The mother will stay with her calf for the first few days, for the calf to be imprinted on her successfully. Eventually each mother will recognize her own calf by the voice and the scent. Mothers and calves then group into nursery herds, to give the mothers a chance to graze.