In this verse we find that King Solomon apparently had a zoo near his palace, and apes were one of the animals he kept. We do not know what species of apes they were, but quite possibly they included baboons.
There are several kinds of baboons in South Africa. All of them have dog-like muzzles, close-set eyes, and sharp canine teeth. They also have a special pad of skin with no nerves or hair that makes it possible for them to sit for long periods of time in comfort. Baboons weigh between 31 and 88 pounds, depending on their species. All have strong jaws, large canine teeth and cheek pouches in which they can store food. They are noisy and quarrelsome animals and have even been known to attack humans.
The members of this ape family live in communities and have a highly developed social system. They have a dominant leader with all others taking their places in a well-defined “pecking order.” They live on the ground, though they sleep in trees or other high places where they feel safe from their enemies. Active both during the day and at night, they will eat almost anything. This includes stealing food from picnicking people and from food stores or homes.
Since they also make frequent raids on farmers’ crops, they are serious pests. In one area farmers kept such close watch with their guns that the baboons were no longer seen coming into the orchards, yet the trees continued to be stripped of fruit, much to the dismay of the farmers. Finally they discovered what was taking place. A group of baboons was found forming a line hidden in brush. After making sure he was not being watched, the leader would silently approach a tree, pick some fruit and hurry with it to the first baboon in line. The fruit was then passed from animal to animal and placed in a pile at the far end of the line. Then they all had a feast. However, they seemed to know that this little game might be interrupted, so as the first of the fruit reached them, each baboon took a bite and stored it in his cheek pouch without eating it.
While baboons have characteristics that make them somewhat to be feared by people, they are also a very interesting part of God’s creation. We see God’s kindness in giving them special seating pads, since they seem to sit a lot. Having pouches to carry their food in is another mark of God’s kindness to them, so they can collect food and travel with it to where they can eat it in peace. What proofs of God’s kindness do you see in your body? For example, what would life be like if you were missing even one of your five senses, as some people suffer? The sense of taste shows how kind God is to let us enjoy the food we eat. Perhaps you can think of more proofs of God’s kindness to you in how He made you.
Did You Know?
Baboons steal food from stores, homes and make frequent raids on farmers’ crops.
Messages of God’s Love 10/8/2023