Simien Mountains National Park - Wildlife

April 14 - There are several animal species endemic to the The Simien Mountain N. P.: the gelada baboon, Walia ibex, the lammergeyer (a very large bird, like a vulture, that scavanges dead animals then drops the bones from a great height to break them in order to expose the marrow, which they eat), and the Ethiopian wolf, the country's most endangered species. We didn't see the wolf, but we saw the others. 

Not more than a 30 minute walk from our lodge we came across the first of two gelada baboon clans. The first one numbered about 75-80, and the second clan numbered easily more than 125. They are vegetarian and incredibly docile. We were able to walk within 5 feet of them without causing any concern on their part. 

You might be thinking we included this photo to show how I can bend the tree over, but it's actually to show how we were completely surrounded by gelada baboons, and they paid us no attention. 

The Walia ibex is hard to spot because of their natural camouflage and due to the fact they live among the steep cliffs. As we approached our spectacular picnic area, our "assistant scout", Carrie, spotted 3 ibex just below us. Yawit gave Carrie a big high 5. 

This is a sort of billboard inside the park proudly advertising the presence of the Walia ibex.