Friday, June 17 2005 18:12 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

So you're daddy's girl and your daddy is strongest; or maybe you're a chip off the old block, and your dad's your drinking buddy, but how thick is the bond? Did he, for instance, play a major role in delivering you when you were born? That's exactly what the male marmoset monkey does.

He helps mum during labour by biting off the umbilical cord and cleaning up the afterbirth. And as if that weren't enough, male marmosets take away the babies after the mother nurses them so that she can get a little relaxation. Beats your father's pedicure gift hands-down!

Now, the seahorse is an ideal father. These dads carry up to 2,000 fertilized eggs in pouches in their stomachs until they hatch. Even after the babies are born, dad keeps them in his pouch until they're ready to face the world. Just call him Mr Mum!

The next time you are swapping horror stories about how your dad is overprotective, beat this one. Darwin's rheas, or South American ostriches, rush toward anything that gets too close to their young ones, be it cowboys on horseback or small planes flying too close to the ground!

The red jungle fowl, the progenitor of the domestic chicken, is also a protective father. The dominant male of the flock takes it upon himself to protect all the chicks from predators and introduces them to the pecking order when they are a week old. Later, they take on the role of teaching their young the ways of their world.

Does your dad crib about giving you a ride to your friend's place? Tell him about the microhylid "driver" frog. Once the babies hatch, this native of New Guinea carries up to 24 froglets on his back and hops 50 feet every night, dropping his sons and daughters on the way, where they begin a new life. Let's see your father refuse you a ride now!

The Sand Grouse juniors give a whole new meaning to the term "sponging off your father". These pigeon-like birds live in areas where water is sparse, and the dad may fly for as many as 50 miles to find water and soak it up into his breast feathers. Then he flies all the way back and lets the babies suckle the moisture from his feathers.

The Emperor Penguin father is just the best babysitter you can ask for. When the mums leave the colony for the winter, the fathers incubate the eggs by putting them on their feet and covering them with skin folds to keep them warm. Since they can't go out and feed, they practically fast for four months until the chicks hatch.

So this Father's Day, while you're picking a present for your father, think about the fathers of other beings around you, and remember to always show them compassion.