Charming pictures of the maternal bond between animals around the world

Some say it with hugs, others with kisses. But all around the world, for any species, there‘s an unmistakable bond of affection between a mother and her young.

So on this day, when dutiful human sons and daughters bring gifts of flowers and chocolates to their Mum – or at least they ought to do – we celebrate the strength of the maternal relationship in the animal kingdom.

These heartwarming pictures take us from the mountainous forests of Borneo, where an orang-utan baby shows its love by planting a smacker on its mother, to the Chinese winter, where a panda mother and son share a warming cuddle in the snow.

Be it rhinos playfully tussling in South Africa or beluga whales sharing a swim in America, you might wonder if a mother can ever get too much of a good thing when it comes to basking in the love of her young.

Only the opossum grimacing under the weight of half a dozen of her cubs might disagree...