Parent Pride

Consciously have I chosen the title today. Well, there was this pic of a lion pride. Even if you are not exactly an `English nut', you would know the meaning of pride in this context, right?  Obviously, there were cubs who mirrored the pre-lapsarian innocence in their happy playfulness. Sure, the mommie and the aunties were indulgently taking care of the small ones, as they do in any pride. What I found rather  cute and quite heart-warming was the alpha male of the pride allowing the cubs be. Very in and contemporary the animal parents, especially the Papa's of the pride, seem to have grown, what with the constant connect with hip human beings, due to all sorts of jungle safari's!    

Honestly, the animal parents are so contented and happy pampering their brats that often there is literally a shadow of a smile on those otherwise terrifying visages. That is parent pride, right?The kids seem to be learning the rules of the game most leniently indeed.

Recently I saw a Toronto zoo video of a tigress playing with her daughter. So playful and cheery was their togetherness that each time you saw it, you fell in love with the cutest cub ever and its gentle mother who, otherwise, can be cruelty personified. 

It looked as if she was showing off her pretty, playful baby to the onlookers in the zoo. She consciusly seemed to be inventing games with her moppet. That is parent pride, right?

Believe me, animal parents show you their babies in a very proud way. Our cat used to hold her entire litter in her arms, and look up with a gleeful, happy  challenge. She literally used to doze off with her front paws on all of them the way a mother cuddles a baby.

It is not just the pets who indulge in such exhibitionism. When my nephew was small, I had once taken him to Peshve Park which was a zoo those days. It used to house gorillas as well. As I was showing my nephew the huge forefather of all of us, the female gorilla kept on cuddling her baby, showing it to me and pointing her finger at my nephew in my arms so as to say "hello, here is my baby, too."

Oh, yes, there are lovely videos of elephants disciplining their naughty calves. And who can forget the lustrous large eyes of a cow go moister still when she beholds her calf. Parent pride indeed.

pratima@primal parent pride