Geladas in Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia

© Thomas Marent/Minden Pictures

Geladas in Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia

Both male and female geladas have a red, hourglass-shaped patch of skin on their chests. But the male's patch is usually a brighter red. This marking is the inspiration behind the gelada’s other common name: the bleeding heart monkey. Though similar to baboons, geladas are usually classified in their own genus. They spend most of their day grazing on grasses in the high mountain plateaus of northern Ethiopia, their sole natural habitat.