Gelada monkeys live only in the high mountain meadows of Ethiopia—an environment very unlike those of their forest- or savanna-dwelling primate relatives. This high-altitude homeland is replete with steep, rocky cliffs. With their short and stumpy fingers, geladas are adept rock climbers. At night, the animals drop over precipice edges to sleep huddled together on ledges.

These baboon-size animals are the world's most terrestrial primates—except for humans. As mostly grass-eaters, they are the last surviving species of ancient grazing primates that were once numerous. Geladas spend most of their day sitting down, plucking and munching on grasses and herbs. They have fatty sitting pads on their rear ends, which seem well adapted to this activity.

Geladas live in multi-level societies. The smallest