Why Gazelles Stott

2 Samuel 2:18
“And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel [was as] light of foot as a wild roe.”

When a gazelle sees a creature that threatens, it springs straight up into the air. If you have a house cat, you’ve probably seen your pet do something similar when someone tries to sneak up on it. This strange behavior is called stotting.

Scientists are well aware that features found in nature have purpose. This is not to say, however, that all scientists necessarily believe in a Creator.

At first glance, it would seem that stotting is counterproductive. Time and energy that might be used in running away from a predator seem to be wasted by springing up and making the prey even more noticeable. Is stotting an animal’s attempt to warn others of its kind about danger? Is it an attempt to get a better view of the danger? Or, could stotting be an attempt to confuse the predator? After watching 250 incidences of gazelle stotting, naturalists believe they have come up with a solution. They believe that stotting is a creature’s way of letting a would-be predator know that the predator has been seen. The message is, don’t try to sneak up on me because I know you’re there. Researchers noted that stotting does seem to discourage cheetahs from continuing to stalk a gazelle.

Even though most scientists don’t believe in the Creator, they sometimes recognize that there is intelligent purpose and design in the creation. How contradictory it is for those who would deny the Creator to then use what He has made to try to deny Him!

Prayer:
Lord, Your wisdom in protecting and caring for Your creation goes far beyond our puny human wisdom. I thank You for that. I ask that You would never let me forget that Your wisdom and love are greater than I can comprehend. Amen.

Notes:
“Verily, Gazelles Leap After They Look.” Discover, Sept. 1986. P. 13. Photo: Lambs in New Zealand stotting. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.