Marie Read / American oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus) adult feeding chick, Long Island, New York, USA. June.

Marie Read / Eared grebes (Podiceps nigricollis), pair, one adult feeding one of two chicks riding on the other adult's back, Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge, Montana, USA

Marie Read / Eared grebes (Podiceps nigricollis), pair, one adult carrying food (damselfly) for two chicks riding on the other adult's back, Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge, Montana, USA

Marie Read / Eared grebes (Podiceps nigricollis), pair, one adult feeding chick riding on the other adult's back, Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge, Montana, USA

Yukihiro Fukuda / Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata fuscata) mother with rare white furred baby, Jigokudani Valley, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. June.

Hermann Brehm / Crowned crane (Balearica regulorum) with chicks, Ndutu, Tanzania.

Hermann Brehm / Crowned crane (Balearica regulorum) with chicks, Ndutu, Tanzania.

Marie Read / Common mergansers (Mergus merganser) family, female swimming with seventeen ducklings, some of which are riding on her back, Lansing, New York, USA, June.

Marie Read / Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) adult brooding chicks, one chick stretching its wings after being brooded, northern Massachusetts, USA. June. Endangered species.

Marie Read / Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) brooding three chicks with a fourth approaching, northern Massachusetts, USA.June. Endangered species.

Marie Read / Eared Grebes (Podiceps nigricollis), adult feeds a damselfly nymph to one of two chicks riding on its back, Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge, Montana, USA, June.

Christophe Courteau / Mountain gorilla (Gorilla gorilla beringei), baby in arms of mother. Volcanoes National Park. Rwanda.

Hermann Brehm / Crowned crane (Balearica regulorum) with chicks, Ndutu, Tanzania.

Ingo Arndt / King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) adult adjusting egg balanced on its feet, King Edward Point, South Georgia Island, March

Marie Read / Eared grebes (Podiceps nigricollis), adult offering food (damselfly) to chick on the water, Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge, Montana, USA

Marie Read / Western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) adult with chick riding on its back, both napping, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Utah, USA, May.

Marie Read / Western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis), closeup of adult swimming with chicks riding on its back, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Utah, USA, May.

Marie Read / Western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis), closeup of adult swimming with chicks riding on its back, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Tuah, USA, May.

Marie Read / Western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) adult with begging chick riding on its back, peeking out from behind adult's neck, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Utah, USA, May.

Marie Read / Western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) adult with 2 chicks riding on its back, peeking out from either side of adult's neck, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Utah, USA, May.

Marie Read / Western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) adult with 2 chicks riding on its back, peeking out from either side of adult's neck, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Utah, USA, May.

Marie Read / Eared grebes (Podiceps nigricollis), pair, one adult with food (damselfly) for chick riding on the other adult's back, Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge, Montana, USA

Marie Read / Eared grebes (Podiceps nigricollis), adult feeds a damselfly nymph to one of two chicks riding on its back, Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge, Montana, USA

Mike Potts / Hooker's sealion (Phocarctos hookeri) cow with new born pup and afterbirth. Enderby Island. Subantarctic New Zealand. January

Yukihiro Fukuda / Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata fuscata) mother with rare white furred baby, Jigokudani Valley, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. June.

Yukihiro Fukuda / Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata fuscata) mother with rare white furred baby, Jigokudani Valley, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. June.

Katherine Feng / Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) 40 day old cub held by research assistant, Wolong Nature Reserve, endangered, China

Flip de Nooyer / Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis papua) parent feeding chick regurgitated food, Antarctica

Duncan Usher / Marsh Warbler (Acrocephalus palustris) pair at nest feeding young, Europe

Duncan Usher / Marsh Warbler (Acrocephalus palustris) adult at nest with chicks begging for food, Europe

Duncan Usher / Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) adult feeding young, Europe

Duncan Usher / Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) parent feeding young, Europe

Mark Moffett / Jumping Spider (Phyaces comosus) nurturing egg masses, Sri Lanka

Gerry Ellis / African Elephant (Loxodonta africana) keeper Mishak Nzimbi tending to baby orphans, David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Tsavo East National Park, Kenya

Gerry Ellis / African Elephant (Loxodonta africana) keeper watching new orphan baby Thoma recover from rescue, David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Tsavo East National Park, Kenya

Jabruson Motion / Eastern mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) juvenile climbing down a vine and sitting on young male. Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo. 1996.

Tui De Roy / Galapagos sea lion (Zalophus wollebaeki) pup greeting its returning mother. Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.

Roman Willi / Eurasian beaver (Fiber castor) adult swims towards a beaver kit. The kit then nuzzles the adult while it is grooming and then the adult swims out of frame, Lucerne, Switzerland, July.

Tui De Roy / Parent Great frigatebird (Fregata minor) feeding its chick, Genovesa Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.

Marie Read / Common loon (Gavia immer) on nest at water's edge, turning its egg, Michigan, USA. June.

Tony Wu / Banggai cardinal fish (Pterapogon kauderni) mouth brooding, with juveniles in mouth. Celebes sea, Pacific ocean, Indonesia.

Gerrit Vyn / Adult Swift foxes (Vulpes velox) caring for pup at den, Montana, USA. June.

Doug Gimesy / Gray-headed Flying-fox (Pteropus poliocephalus) pup that was rescued during cold weather event. Victoria, Australia.

Doug Gimesy / Emily Small, founder of Goongerah Wombat Orphanage, holds a juvenile feathertail glider (Acrobates pygmaeus) that was found after bushfires devastated the Goongerah area, Victoria, Australia. February...