A couple of years ago, I have seen a similar story on TV. Could be on Animal Planet, I don't quite remember. A house was on fire when the owner was away, and a mama cat got out with one kitty. Then she went right back in for 4 more kitties one at a time until they were all rescued. She ended up lost her sight. Two of her kitties didn't survive either. Many animals have shown us they have the same love for their offspring. They could risk their own lives for their babies.
Other stories I have heard about great animal mom were about birds.
One mother bird stood her ground against a hunting dog 50x her size after her chick had fallen from a tree onto the ground. She was shaking because she was scared, but she stood her ground while knowing she'll die if she stay. The dog's owner called off the dog, so both bird survived.
In a different story, another mother bird died to a hunting dog when she was trying to be a decoy to get the dog away from her nest full of newly hatched chicks. She could just fly away but she didn't, or the dog wouldn't chase after her. She died because she overdid it when pretending to be injured.
Mothers will always be mothers. No matter what species they are.