Panther

At one point, the black panther was my spirit animal (may still be), so I think it's auspicious that I found this photo of a panther mother and her kitten today, when my thoughts have been on motherhood. What I think is fascinating is the combination of an animal we think of as dangerous being maternal to the impossibly cute baby. It brings a new meaning to a "Mama Tiger moment" - you know, when a mother aggressively defends her child.