Democratic Republic of Congo's orange‑liped colobus monkey discovered

Scientists have formally described a new colobus monkey species, Colobus congoensis, from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The primate, locally known as Likweli, lives in a restricted area of Lomami National Park between the Lomami and Lualaba rivers. It is distinguished by glossy black fur, bright orange‑cream markings around the mouth, slate‑grey cheekbones, a long hooked tail and a deep, resonant call that sounds like a frog or pig.

The discovery began with a blurry photograph taken in 2008. After a clearer sighting in 2018, an international team—including researchers from Florida Atlantic University, the Lukuru Wildlife Research Foundation, CUNY, Yale, and German institutions—conducted field work from 2018 to 2022. They recorded 114 observations, interviewed residents of 52 villages (only eight reported sightings), and collected tissue samples from three confiscated specimens. Genetic, anatomical and acoustic analyses confirmed the monkey as a distinct species that diverged from its closest relative, the black colobus (C. satanas), about four to five million years ago.

Because the species occupies roughly 1,700 km², it is vulnerable to habitat loss and hunting. Researchers recommend classifying it as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. "It’s an amazing feeling to look into the face of an animal so few have seen," said junior researcher Junior Amboko, and professor Kate Detwiler called the finding "a scientific triumph".