“God made the beast of the earth after his kind . . . and God saw that it was good.” Genesis 1:25
In last week’s issue, the red-faced and variegated species of the spider monkey family were reviewed. Today we will look at the wooly variety, which is, in many ways, the most remarkable member of this family.
The wooly’s homelands are in the tropical forest regions of Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil and Venezuela. Much of those forest areas have been cut down, and many are concerned that these creatures will soon have no place to live. But efforts are underway to set aside areas for the protection of the wooly spider monkey.
An adult wooly, weighing over 30 pounds, will measure about 5 feet in length, including a long, fur-covered tail. Except for a dark face, slightly flushed with red, its body fur appears quite light when it is standing facing you, but the fur on its backs is much darker. On some there are areas of deep orange as well, and they all have a cute appearance.
Their antics are amazing, such as dangling out in space from a slender branch, holding on only by a tail and one arm. But when a mother leads her little one around, she is very careful. To travel from one tree to another where the space is too great for the baby to swing, she will pull the branch to which it clings farther across, or she may leap to the other tree and work one of its branches across so the little one can safely reach it.
At other times, she will stretch herself over the area, grasping one side with a strong arm and the other side with her tail. Then baby monkey merely walks across her body to make the crossover. At other times, a mother can be spotted with a little one clinging to her back as she scampers through the trees.
For the most part, woolies are peace-loving and playful, enjoying swinging back and forth under a high branch while hanging on only by their tails. But they will chase away other species that try to compete in picking fruit from a tree, which, including the leaves and flowers, represents most of their food.
Wherever seen, monkeys are interesting animals, and we can understand the Creator’s taking pleasure in creating them. The Bible, God’s Word, does not teach that mankind evolved from monkeys and apes. God’s Word, which is our only sure and true source of knowledge of such things, plainly teaches that when God made Adam, he was instantly a complete man. If in all things we trust and believe what God says, we are always on safe ground.
ML-07/01/2018