BORTH Animalarium will celebrate Father’s Day after highlighting the important role fathers in some species play in raising their young.

Animalarium owner Jean Mumbray said the attraction has several examples of species which are “totally dependent” on the father for both support and child care, especially with emus and marmosets.

Jean said with Father’s Day tomorrow, the Animalarium was showing how in some species the father is so important.

She said: “Both emus and marmosets rely on the father for child care. This year our male emu, a six-foot tall bird from Australia made a nest, persuaded the female to lay her big dark green eggs in it, then he sat and incubated the eggs, hatching out four chicks in April.

“He then taught them to eat and took them for walks so that they could eat grass. The female had to be shut away as she has been known to kill them.

“Our family group of marmosets produced a single baby. At birth the father takes the baby and carries it on his back. He then passes it to the mother for feeding.

“When it is older he will pass it to his older sons so that they can learn child care. This baby is now learning to climb alone.”