Also, females will leave their young behind for a variety of reasons and come back for them later.

The females became too hungry to wait and left their nests in search of food.

The males stay with the eggs for a short time, but the females leave immediately.

The female will lay anywhere from 2,000 to 26,000 eggs and leave them for the male to guard.

Both males were still in the water; the other female was leaving the lake.

Then, the females will leave the group to give birth.

The female had not left and that disconcerted him again.

The male will hunt and bring food when the female cannot leave the nest.

The female will leave her own food away from the young where it doesn't contaminate the nest.

Both males and females will eventually leave the group they were born into.