17th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Gelada baboons at a Simien Mountains sunset
On a trek in the Simien Mountain range in Ethiopia to raise funds for a charity, we went to watch the sunset near Geech Camp. To our surprise and delight, Gelada "baboons" (also named Bleeding Heart monkeys), found only in the Ethiopia highlands, returned from a day of foraging to seek shelter from their predators (leopard and hyena) in the cliffside caves. The agility of the monkeys, including young mothers carrying babies on their backs, in jumping down from the steep cliffs was mind-boggling. Watching the scene after a long and difficult hike during the day, with the herd scurrying down on the backdrop of the breathtaking mountains, was surreal and uplifting.
Photo Detail
Date Taken: | 03.2019 |
Date Uploaded: | 11.2019 |
Photo Location: | Ethiopia |
Camera: | NIKON D7500 |
Copyright: | © Arie Katz |