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This Mother’s Day, let’s celebrate the incredible moms raising families across Canada—without baby bottles, cribs, or parenting books. We’re talking about fur-bearing moms: beavers, bears, foxes, and others who nurse, teach, protect, and guide their young in forests, marshes, cities, and everywhere in between.
These animals might not get cards or brunch, but they deserve a moment in the spotlight. Their maternal instincts are shaped by survival, by the seasons, and by generations of quiet resilience. Here’s a look at how some of our native fur-bearing species care for their young, and what we can learn from their stories.
Photo by Dan Pepper / Getty Images
Beavers: Building Homes and Raising Kits
Beaver moms don’t just build homes—they create entire neighbourhoods. Kits are born in spring, already covered in fur and able to see. For the first weeks, they stay safely tucked inside the lodge with their mother. She keeps them fed and warm while the rest of the family pitches in to maintain the dam and gather food.
What’s especially unique about beavers is how long their young stay with them. Kits often remain with their parents for up to two years, learning how to fell trees, construct dams, and manage their watery territory.
Photo by John E. Marriott / WildernessPrints.com
Black Bears: Quiet Dens, Busy Cubs
In winter, while most of the forest rests, black bear moms are gently nursing their newborn cubs in hidden dens. Cubs arrive small and nearly hairless, and mom keeps them close and warm until spring.
When the snow melts, the learning begins. Cubs stay with their mother for more than a year, gaining critical skills like foraging, climbing, and avoiding danger. Every step is guided by a mom who balances patience with instinct.
Phto by Bob Hilscher / Getty Images
Red Foxes: Teamwork in the Den
Red fox moms may have a full house, with litters ranging from four to ten pups. Early life is all about warmth, milk, and staying quiet in the den. The mother stays close, while the father or older siblings bring food and help watch over the pups.
As the pups grow, they begin to explore outside the den, always under mom’s watchful eye. She helps them learn to stalk, pounce, and listen—key survival skills passed down through play and observation.
Photo by Steven Flannigan / Getty Images
Mink: Raising Kits on the Quiet Side
Mink moms are secretive, nesting in well-hidden spots along shorelines or marshes. They raise their young alone, tending to them closely in the safety of a den made of grasses and leaves.
Born blind and small, kits depend on their mother’s care through the first several weeks. As they grow, she introduces them to the world gently, helping them explore nearby water and learn to find food on their own.
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River Otters: Play Is Part of Parenting
River otters are often described as playful—and it’s true—but that play has purpose. Otter moms begin teaching their pups to swim just weeks after birth. At first, the pups may be hesitant, but mom is persistent and encouraging.
Through swimming games and mock hunts, otter pups develop the skills they’ll need to thrive in their aquatic environments. These lessons come with patience and joy, and young otters often remain with their mother for up to a year.
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Raccoons: Smart, Adaptable, and Always Watching
Raccoon moms are clever, adaptable, and deeply invested in their young. They give birth in secure dens—hollow trees, abandoned buildings, or tucked-away spaces in attics or sheds.
If a den becomes unsafe, raccoon moms move each kit, one at a time, to a new shelter. Young raccoons stay with their mother through the summer, watching and copying her every move—from opening containers to navigating urban streets.
Photo by Romeo Andrei Cana / Getty Images
Striped Skunks: Quietly Leading the Way
Striped skunk mothers are calm and attentive, raising their babies underground in grassy or wooded areas. If their den is disturbed, the mother may carefully carry her young to a new location, ensuring their safety.
By the time the kits are a few weeks old, they’re active and exploring—but mom is always close, guiding them to food sources and keeping them on track.
Celebrating Mothers
Wild mothers are essential to healthy ecosystems. They teach, protect, and guide their young in ways shaped by landscape and legacy. This spring, let’s show our respect by giving them space, keeping attractants like garbage secured, and sharing what we know with our communities.
And if you’re looking for a different way to celebrate this Mother’s Day, check out our eCard quiz—it’s a fun, wildlife-friendly way to send some love.
