Zoo Atlanta's animal dads

Things to Do

Photos of the dads at Zoo Atlanta for Father's Day, includes images of gorillas, Orangutans, otters, flamingos and warthogs.

Father's Day is all about honoring Pops, even if he's (literally) a wild animal. And what better place to find animals than the zoo? So what follows is our tribute to the big (and small) daddies of Zoo Atlanta. Here, Satu, a Bornean orangutan, hangs out with his dad, Sulango. What makes Sulango a good father is that he plays with Satu and they often wrestle. Since Satu doesn't have siblings or peers, the social play is crucial to his development.

Moe, an Asian small-clawed otter (center), spends some time with his family. These male otters normally stay with mother to help raise a litter of up to six pups, and they typically bring food back for them. What makes Moe a good father is that he is experienced and helps take care of the family with mate, Nava Lee.

Chilean flamingo pairs share equal amounts of responsibility when it comes to taking care of the nest. A young flamingo (middle) walks between a male (front) and a female (back). One of the zoo's flamingos, No. 67, has a mate, No. 53. No. 67 is a good father because he and his mate have been partners for more than 10 years and they are reliable breeders who raise their chicks.

Western lowland gorilla Gunther (bottom) looks up at his father, 18-year-old Taz. Male lowlands play no active role in raising infants. What makes Taz a good father is that he loves to play with his kids, especially wrestling and tickling. He smiles and laughs a lot with them. He disciplines his children with a stern voice, body posturing and strong looks.

Taz follows another one of his kids, Macy Baby.

Warthog Vern and his daughter, Georgia P., strike a pose. Male warthogs play a limited role with parenting in the wild, with most leading nomadic lifestyles. What makes Vern a good father is that he's patient and gentle with Georgia P. From the minute they've been together, he lets her study him and even crawl on his back. He may soon help her learn how to dig in the dirt.

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Father's Day is all about honoring Pops, even if he's (literally) a wild animal. And what better place to find animals than the zoo? So what follows is our tribute to the big (and small) daddies of Zoo Atlanta. Here, Satu, a Bornean orangutan, hangs out with his dad, Sulango. What makes Sulango a good father is that he plays with Satu and they often wrestle. Since Satu doesn't have siblings or peers, the social play is crucial to his development.

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