3-086-446 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Arabian or Sacred Baboon, recently brought to this country, 1898. 'Zoological Curiosities. [A]...strange beast - an Arabian or sacred baboon, from North Africa [recently arrived in England]. The specimen, which is an adult male, is very fierce and inhospitable to visitors, rushing furiously to the bars of his cage when anyone approaches. Very few of these baboons have been imported into this country, and the latest is one of the finest ever seen. Although this baboon takes its name from Arabia, it is more common in Abyssinia and the Soudan. It is often represented on the ancient monuments of Egypt, and some have suggested that it may be the "satyr" of Holy Scripture. When full- grown, the male is as big as a good sized pointer dog. It is remarkable for its ashen grey colour and its shaggy mane, which covers the neck and shoulders, and extends backwards over a considerable portion of the body.' From "Illustrated London News", 1898.