In Quest of the Sacred Baboon [Hardcover]

Hans Kummer (Author), M. Ann Biederman-Thorson (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 30, 1995

In a tale that begins at a zoo in Zurich and takes us across the deserts of Ethiopia to the Asir Mountains in Saudi Arabia, Hans Kummer recreates the adventure of the early days of field research on primates. Just as Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey introduced readers to the lives of chimpanzees and gorillas, Kummer brings us face to face with the Hamadryas baboon. With their furry white mantles and gleaming red hindquarters, the Hamadryas appear frequently in the art of the ancient Egyptians - who may have interpreted the baboons' early morning grooming rituals as sun-worshiping rites. Back then, Hamadryas were thought to be incarnates of Thoth, the god of wisdom; today they are considered to have one of the most highly structured social systems among primates, very close, in some respects, to that of humans. In the 1960s, Kummer, after conflicts with nomadic warriors, managed to track down these elusive baboons near the Danakil Desert, and then followed them from dawn to dusk on their treks from one feeding place to another. His scientific account of this period reads like a travel memoir as he describes his encounters with the Hamadryas and the people with whom they share the desert. Winding his way through cliffs and stubble, Kummer records the baboons' social life, from the development of pair relationships to the way an entire group decides where to march each day. Much like the human nomads who cope with the harsh demands of the desert environment, the Hamadryas maintain a society that is strict and patriarchal in its details but multilayered and flexible in its largest units. We learn, for example, of the Hamadryas' respect for possession that protects family structure and of the cohesion among family leaders that lessens the threat of battle. At the same time, clear-cut personalities emerge from Kummer's account, drawing us into the life stories and power struggles of individual baboons.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Ethologist Kummer revisits his 30-plus years of hamadryas baboon field research previously covered in his books Social Organization of Hamadryas Baboons: A Field Study (University of Chicago Pr., 1968) and Primate Societies (Aldine, 1971). Writing in a conversational style, he intertwines observations and theories of baboon behavior and social structure with biographical sketches of life in Ethiopia. His format, previously used by orangutan researcher Birute Galdikas in her Reflections of Eden (LJ 12/94), makes for a fascinating and accessible delivery of hard science to lay readers. Though many primate studies have been conducted since Kummer began in 1961, he holds that "the hamadryas baboon stands out among the other species with respect to three characteristics: the rigid, hierarchical social structure, the perfection with which the males lead their harums, and the [baboon's] decision process." For academic and larger public library science collections.?Raymond Hamel, Wisconsin Regional Primate Research Ctr. Lib., Madiso.-- decision process." For academic and larger public library science collections.?Raymond Hamel, Wisconsin Regional Primate Research Ctr. Lib., Madison
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Biologist Kummer's chronicle of his experiences studying the hamadryas baboon in the wilds of Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia is a welcome addition to the literature of primate specialists, which includes BiruteGaldikas' wonderful Reflections of Eden: My Years with the Orangutans of Borneo. Although Kummer isn't quite as open and entertaining a storyteller as Galdikas, his history of the "dog-head" baboon, a sacred figure in ancient Egypt, is as rich in anecdote as it is in observation. Kummer first encountered the hamadryas baboon in the Zurich zoo during the 1950s while he was still a graduate student. It was fascination at first sight, and Kummer eventually traveled to Africa to conduct pioneering field studies of this unique creature. The hamadryas baboon occupies a precarious niche in the sparse ecosystem of the desert and has evolved a complex and aggressive patriarchal society involving elaborate social tactics and long-term sexual relationships. Kummer brings the hamadryas baboon so vividly to life it's easy to see why the Egyptians believed that this extremely intelligent fellow primate was the incarnation of Thoth, the god of science and writing. Donna Seaman

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 408 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press; 1ST edition (October 30, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691037019
• ISBN-13: 978-0691037011
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,386,440 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Science writing at its best, June 27, 2007

By 

Susan E. Perry (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: In Quest of the Sacred Baboon (Paperback)

This is popular science writing at its best. Hans Kummer summarizes a lifetime's work with one of the most fascinating primate species there is. He is an eloquent writer and a superb scientist who really knows his subject. I assign this book to my primatology classes because he explains difficult concepts well and because he clearly outlines his thought processes as his research program unfolded in a way that helps students learn how to think scientifically. Hans Kummer is one of very few scientists who has used experimental approaches to analyze social dynamics in the field, and his experiments are eye-openers. His accounts of life in the field nicely supplement his detailed accounts of the animals' lives. Anyone interested in the nuts and bolts of social relationships will love this book. It is a must read for all primatologists, but it should be of interest to anyone who is interested in social relationships or the evolution of social behavior. The writing is definitely engaging enough to hold the attention of non-professionals.