Take a Cue Worst Dads!
In the sea-horse species, it is the male that gets pregnant and gives birth to its young. No prizes for guessing who gets the award for the 'Best Dad'!
Son: Hey Dad, Can I ask you a question?
Dad: But son, you just did!
Son: Okay. Can I ask you two questions?
Dad: You just did, son!
Son: Can I ask you four?
Dad: You just did!
Son: But when?
Dad: Now!
Yeah, yeah! Fathers can be like that sometimes - trolling their sons, teasing their daughters, and playing naughty. But this is innocent fun. It becomes a problem when your father hunts you down, kills you, and eats you up. Don't think that is ever possible? These dads from the animal kingdom show you just how possible it is, and show no signs of regret at all!
Where on one hand, sea horses, emperor penguins, rheas, monkeys, and toads are amongst the best animal dads who care for their young ones, feed them, nourish them, and bring them up with tremendous protection and love; on the other hand, polar bears, lions, bass, and assassin bugs are known to feed on their young ones, making them the worst dads out there in the wild.
Read about other paternal behavioral patterns that categorize these animal-fathers as 'not ideal', in no particular order.
Daddy Lion
A combination of laziness, pride, revenge, greed, and anger makes the lion one of the most fearsome and worst dads of the animal kingdom. When not taking a prideful stride across the jungle, the father lion just lazes around under the sun, or waits by the den for one of its lioness partners to bring back food. Once the lioness gets home the kill, the lion gobbles up most of it, and leaves little or nothing at all for the cubs. The father doesn't even train the cubs for hunting and surviving, it is the lioness who teaches them how to fend for themselves. There's more. Once the lion becomes the head of the pride, it will eat up all the cubs of the former head, making it a bad step-father. However, when its pride is in danger, the lion will leave no stone unturned to ensure complete protection of its family, cubs, and the pride as well, making it a not-so-bad father.
Papa Bear
It is hard enough being a mother; it is tougher being a mother bear! The male grizzly refrains from building nesting sites, caring for its young ones, or feeding them. The adult male grizzly bear is one of the most feared animals from the animal kingdom. It is extremely protective of its home turf, and never entertains any kind of encroachment upon it, not even if it is its own cubs. Moreover, if the male grizzly is annoyed or hungry, it will prey on its own cubs for revenge or food.
The Polar Father
Cute and cuddly, pure and soft. Protective of young ones and family? Sure. Then what makes the polar bears one of the worst dads of the animal kingdom? They procreate. That's it! They just procreate and leave the rest to the mother bear. They don't take part in the upbringing of the young ones, they won't take up the responsibility of feeding them, they won't take care of them like a father ideally should. What makes them the worst is that they would have no qualms about feeding on their young ones if they are hungry and fall short of food!
The Assassin Bug
Size matters, you say? This little bug, though not little in spirit and cruelty, would eat its own eggs to stay strong and fulfill its hunger needs. The male assassin bug is actually responsible for guarding the eggs laid by its partner from predators. The female assassin bug lays eggs in large numbers. The male bug eats the weaker eggs on the outside of the brood, since they tend to be the easiest victims for wasps and other larger predators. The father might as well eat them than let others feast on his kids, right?
Daddy Bass
Usually, water calms you down. Not so much for this underwater species. The male bass is known to gobble up eggs from its own spawn. It guards the spawn laid by its female partner, and protects them from predators and other dangers lurking around. However, when hungry and unable to hunt for its own food, the father won't think twice before feasting on the eggs.
And you thought your father was strict and dangerous. After reading this article, I'm sure you think your dad is the best in the whole wide world for not eating you up!
