The Gelada(Theropithecus gelada), in Amharic (č’ïllada) also called Gelada Baboon is a primate that can only be found in the mountains of Ethiopia.
Ethiopians call it “lion baboon” for the characteristic mane that the males have that makes them look much bigger than the females. They are very intelligent animals that live in community, generally in groups of 400 or more, subdivided in smaller groups of a male, several females and their children.
They are basically vegetarians, feeding on grass, herbs and roots that grow in the mountains and rarely on insects. They are very peaceful animals that live along ridges and precipices edges to protect themselves from predators.
They form very complex societies and they communicate by gestures, facial expressions and sounds; you can differentiate 30 distinctive vocalizations, even having a “word” for human and another for dog. One of the features of their societies is that the females are the ones in charge. These primates can live up to 19 years in the wild and more than 30 in captivity.
Another common name for them is “bleeding heart baboon” because of the red spot they have in their chests in the shape of an hourglass. An Ethiopian tale explains this mark as God branding the Gelada in the chest for misbehaving.
Even when sometimes it is hunted by humans, the mayor threat for its survival is the climate change that has reduced its habitat by shrinking the grassland that provides its food.
More information:
Primates: The Gelada Baboon
Animal Diversity
“Kings of the Hill?” - National Geographic Article

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