were revered because certain behaviors that they perform were seen as worshiping the sun. Modern art The Grand Babouin sacré "hamadryas" is among Rembrandt Bugatti's most celebrated sculptures. Threats and conservation Transformation of field and pastureland represents the main threat to the hamadryas baboon; its only natural predators are the striped hyena, spotted hyena, and a diminishing number of African leopards that can still be found in the same area of distribution. The IUCN Red List listed this species as "least concern" in 2008. No major range-wide threats exist at present, although locally it may be at risk through loss of habitat due to major agricultural expansion and irrigation projects. The species occurs in the proposed Yangudi Rassa National Park, the Harar Wildlife Sanctuary, and a number of wildlife reserves in the lower Awash valley and in northern Eritrea. References Cited sources External links View the hamadryas baboon genome in Ensembl hamadryas baboon Fauna of the Horn of Africa hamadryas baboon hamadryas baboon Mammals of Djibouti Mammals of Eritrea Mammals of Ethiopia Mammals of Somalia Mammals of Sudan Mammals of the Arabian Peninsula Mammals of the Middle East Primates of Asia