Fathers Day is traditionally a day for recognizing the contributions of dads within the context of human families, but since they're busy playing with neckties, misshapen ashtrays, and other assorted paperweights, we thought we'd tip our cap to the awesome dads of the animal kingdom!

(Photo by Noah Grezlak)

5. Up first, we have the lion. These chill AF dudes spend most of their time lounging & eating the choicest parts of the day's kill — mom lions handle hunting and general day-to-day care of a pride's cubs. So, kind of a deadbeat. BUT...don't mess with Mr. Lion's family. They're fiercely protective and will react with swift (usually deadly) justice to anyone or anything that threatens or endangers their pride.

(Photo by Eric Crawford)

4. Next we have the red fox. These devoted dads love to play with their kits, but aren't above dispensing important life lessons: after three months of "den service", they stop actively feeding their offspring. Instead, they begin burying it close-by to gradually teach their young how to find prey before beginning to hunt themselves. Self-sufficiency is a crucial life skill, regardless of species!

(Photo by Artemy Voikhansky)

3. The golden jackal is native to India, and mates for life! An effective hunter and attentive father, he's also pretty efficient, feeding his pups his own regurgitated food. You know — character building!

(Photo by Yuriy Rzhemovskiy)

2. The emperor penguin is kind of a glory hog when it comes to props afforded to animal dads. Not that the praise is without merit — you huddle around in -72º F weather for two months with no food while keeping eggs warm until they hatch and then feed your chick from your own secretions — but even all that isn't enough to topple the star of our list!

(Photo by Zorie Traykova)

1. The seahorse is the dad that does it all. Not only does he fertilize the eggs the mother lays, but he also carries them to term! And with around 1,000 babies at a time, that's a lot of responsibility! You can almost forgive him for occasionally munching a baby or three after birth. Almost. 

That's it for this week! If you have a good relationship with your dad(s) — biological, adoptive, or otherwise — enjoy spending some time hanging out or chatting on Sunday. If you don't, well...that's on them. You're awesome! Revel in the money you saved on neckties and treat yo'self — possibly with a fresh new t-shirt!

Peace, love, and tacos,

Boredwalk