"Once in three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks" (1 Kings 10:22).
This Bible verse tells us that King Solomon included monkeys in the shipments he ordered every three years. He must have found them interesting to watch, just as many of us do today. Here is an account of three kinds of monkeys with unusual noses.
Mr. Bignose of Borneo: The nose of the male proboscis monkey is the most noticeable thing about this red and yellow fellow with big, brown eyes and a hairy face. But there is something most unusual about this monkey's nose-it gets bigger every year!
Most of the time its big, three-inch nose hangs over its mouth like a bag of pink flesh, and it has to shove it out of the way so it can eat. The babies, like mischievous youngsters, tease him by tweaking it, but he doesn't seem to mind too much.
The Creator had a special purpose in this unusual feature. As the "man of the house" he has the responsibility of guarding his family. When danger comes near, he blows his nose up even bigger, making a loud honking noise. This not only warns the family, but also scares the enemy away.
Another nosy one: In New Guinea there is a much smaller relative, called the white-nosed. Its prominent nose has a triangular white spot on its tip with a separate white fringe around it. This little fellow, with pretty olive-green and yellow fur on its back and sides contrasted with white underparts, is usually playful, but can be cranky at times.
It seems most happy to perform for onlookers and enjoys their applause for its variety of stunts and pranks. But if any of its companions try to get in on the act, it angrily chases them away.
Some with a tiny nose: Three varieties of these live in China. All look quite similar except for the color of their fur. These, understandably, are named snub-nosed. Their tiny noses hardly show at all because they are squeezed between bulging eyes and their thick upper lip.
The most common of the tiny-nosed monkeys is named Sichuan and has beautiful golden fur. It lives in the mountains along with the panda bears. The names of the other two are Guizhou and Yumman. These monkeys are very few in number, and many people have learned to love them.
We know the Creator delighted to include these interesting animals in His creation. We also know they are not aware of His watchful eye over them, but we are aware of His watchful eye over us. And His love for us is far greater. When they die, that's the very end for them. But there is a wonderful promise of a home in heaven for every boy and girl, and man and woman, who has accepted the Lord Jesus as his or her Savior. Will you be in heaven?