Beyond Your Backyard 🌿 "Foster Parents of the Wild" 🐣

By Kimberly J. Epp

Humans aren't the only species that foster or adopt. Generally, the more intelligent species seem to be the top foster parents, however there are some exceptions. Domestic species are also well known to foster; such as cats, dogs, horses, cows, and pigs.

Some of the wild species that foster include elephants, whale and dolphin species, the Emporer Penguin, the koala, the orangutan, the African Rhino, the cheetah, the African Lion, and even the Polar Bear.

Why do wild animals foster?

There are a few reasons.

Like us, animals have a parental instinct. The sound of a young one in distress can signal this instinct. The fostering of young in some cases can also be mutually beneficial. Larger groups offer better protection against predators than small groups.

Empathy can also play a part. A mother may already be grieving the loss of her own young, and the presentation of a new baby in need may be all she needs to make her move. Whales and dolphins have even been known to adopt outside of their own species after the loss of a calf.

Let's start with the most empathetic wild animal on this planet, the elephant. Elephants are known to stay in family groups their entire lives, specifically the females. Elephants also care for sick and elderly herd members and they mourn their dead. They are truly sentinent beings.

Such empathy is evident and on display with rescued elephants.

Many have been forcefully bred throughout their lives and have had to deal with great loss when their calves are then taken from them. It really is awful what humans have done to these intelligent and compassionate animals, but even after it all they still hold on to that empathy. Breaking the spirit of elephants and then forcing them to log, give rides, or to be on display at a zoo is cruel. Keeping them alone is especially cruel.

Elephant Nature Park (ENP) is an Asian Elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai, Thailand, founded by Saengduen (Lek) Chailert. The following stories are from Tammy Sprenkeling, who has regularly visited and volunteered at ENP.

Saree, Khundej and foster mother Dani (Photo by Tammy Sprenkeling)

Dani was rescued in 2010 from a harsh life in logging. During her years in the logging industry, like so many others, she was used in forced breeding. Dani had to give up at least 5 babies. In 2014, the young handicapped boy Khundej was brought to ENP. The left front foot of Khundej was damaged due to a snare. Dani became the surrogate foster mother for young Khundej.

A few months later, a young girl named Saree was rescued from the circus. She also had two dislocated hips, likely from being forced to give rides. She adored Khundej and became like his older sister. Dani then adopted Saree as well. This little family proved that the bond of love from the heart is just as strong as any.

In the spring of 2017, orphan Dok Gaew arrived at ENP. He was not even 2 years old. His mother was a logging elephant. After a heavily complicated delivery she gave birth to Dok Gaew. Unfortunately after just a few days, the mother was forced back into logging again. She had no time to rest, no time to recover, no time to be able to take proper care for her baby boy. The complicated delivery had caused her problems with her uterus. This, in combination with lack of medical care, proper food and rest, with the fact that she was forced back into logging, lead to her death just 4 months after giving birth to her son.

Dok Gaew then became an orphan. At ENP, the baby boy was placed in the shelter next to the Dok Rak family. As soon as this family noticed the presence of the baby boy, Faa Mai and her family rushed to meet up with the new arrival as is customary with these sentinent beings. The entire family was filled with such obvious love to adopt this baby into their herd.

Dok Gaew was introduced later to Dani and Khundej after not knowing how to behave in a large herd. Just like Dani did with Khundej and Saree, she again opened her heart. Within a short time, she reassured the young Dok Gaew. The young boy found love, care and security with his new mother. Khundej adored the young Dok Gaew. He loved to have a younger brother. Again the bond of love overcame all boundaries.

Just weeks after Dok Gaew was adopted by Dani, a young Thong Ae, Jenny and old Khun Yai came to ENP. Thong Ae, who had his spirit broken, started a search for her mother. She found love and protection with granny Yui Bua.

Dani (left) with Thong Ae and her established adoptive herd (Photo by Tammy Sprenkeling).

Dok Gaew felt attracted to Thong Ae who was the same age. The feeling was mutual and within a short period of time Dani adopted Thong Ae and Jenny as well. In the weeks after this a new herd was formed as Baan Yen and JaemSai wanted to support Dani and her new kids - and they became dedicated nannies. Khundej was adopted by another elephant named SookJai. Thong Ae is surrounded with love from a caring herd and a lot of friends, who are not blood related but who formed a bond from the heart.

Closer to home, Canada Geese are also known to foster and adopt.

Unlike ducks, Canada Geese mate for life. These geese will only look for new mates if their companion has died. Geese return yearly to their natal nesting grounds, nesting and then later migrating in large family groups. There is considerable inbreeding within these family groups, resulting in extended families that may include yearlings, middle-aged and older members. Unlike other wildlife, a gosling does not know who its parents are when first hatched. This is why the mother and father stay close to the nest, as the goslings will imprint on the first animals they see.

As the gander has lookout duty, mama goose tries her best to keep a pile of over 43 goslings warm (Photo by Mike Digout).

The younger goslings often enter into "day-care" like settings with dozens of babies cared for by one pair. The presentation, however, of any young that may not be from the family groups will not deter the babies from being fostered by the couple. Adopted young are treated as part of the extended family. These new young can then later offer non-familial breeding opportunities within the flock. Goslings are fully grown by 8 weeks of age, which is 25 times bigger than they were when first hatched. They must grow quickly to be ready to migrate by the fall.

An overhead shot of a pile of sleeping goslings. Only one to eight of these goslings are biological young of the pair that cares for them (Photo by Mike Digout).

Deer are a species that are known to foster orphaned fawns.

During the Spring of 2018, a Mule Deer doe was hit by a car on Circle Drive in Saskatoon. The doe ran off of the road and died from her wounds, but she had given birth before succumbing to a set of twins. One fawn was found on the road, and the other on the side of the road. Jan Shadick of Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation was called onto the scene, but wasn't sure what to expect.

One of the two orphaned fawns getting bottlefed at Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation prior to the foster attempts after the loss of their mother (Photo by Bonnie Dell).

Shadick usually rescues smaller wildlife, and fawns can represent a challenge. They quickly imprint on their human rescuers, then cannot be successfully released to the wild. The plan was set in action to take them back to the rehab centre, ensure they were bottlefed and warm, and find an area over the next few days where a female would adopt them. One baby is a challenge, but how would a female react to two? Plus she would need to nurse these twins in addition to her own baby.

An area with high Mule Deer activity was found, and the twins were placed in the long grasses near a deer trail. A speaker was set near them, and the sounds of fawns in distress were played when a doe was nearby. Bonnie Dell, director of Living Sky, spent three nights attempting to find the fawns a willing mother. At first attempt, there were no takers, so the fawns were brought back to the centre.

This was repeated on the second day, and then on a third day. On the third day, Dell sat a bit farther off, sounded the call when a Mule Deer doe was nearby, and the mother then came to their aid. The mother had a maternal instinct to protect these newborns. She adopted them, meaning that these two little ones had the best chance at survival. A Conservation Officer later informed Shadick and Dell that the adoption had been successful.

Obviously, wild animals cannot tell us why they do the things that they do. Whether it be due to safety in numbers, instinct, loss, or pure empathy, some animal species willingly foster. These were just a few examples. Perhaps we could all take some lessons from some of these foster parents of the wild.

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Epp is an Environmental Educator and writer and is the Past President and Field Trip Leader of the Moose Jaw Nature Society. She can be reached at kepp@shaw.ca or via the Moose Jaw Nature Society Facebook page.