Human babies are pretty much useless at fending for themselves. They can do nothing more than suckle and cry at a really loud volume.
But wildebeest babies? Man do they have it tough!
A new born wildebeest’s mother – for many hours after the calf is born – doesn’t even let it suckle. The reason? Safety from predators who abound.
The wildebeest calf must first stand up on its own. It’s mother keeps moving further and further away from her calf, forcing the latter to start following her – first by walking, and then by running. Only when the calf is able to run properly after a few hours, does the mother allow her baby to have her first milk.
Three things struck me, as I watched this on a BBC Earth show.
- How lucky we are – despite having no ability to run or walk at birth, we are kept safe.
- There is no room for crying or cribbing – run, or die.
- If we struggle at the start itself, in anything we do in life, this would form the foundation for future success.