SerpApi.Org
A monkey with bright orange lips, unusual calls and a hidden life in the Congo rainforest has been officially recognized as a new species. Named Colobus congoensis, the primate was discovered in the remote forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where researchers say more unknown species may still be waiting to be found.
The monkey, also known locally as the likweli, lives in Lomami National Park, a protected area in the heart of the Congo Basin. Its existence first came to scientists’ attention through photographs taken in 2008, but the images were not enough to identify the animal. A clearer picture emerged after another sighting in 2018 led researchers to investigate further.
A Hidden Monkey Tracked Down In The Congo Forest
The search for the unknown primate began after conservationists photographed a strange-looking monkey moving through the trees of Lomami National Park. In 2018, researcher Junior Amboko and his colleagues started asking local communities about the animal by showing pictures to people in 52 villages around the park.
Only eight villages recognized the monkey, according to Live Science. Hunters from the Balanga ethnic group called it likweli, while some people from the Mituku communities used the name kasaba nkoni, meaning “the branch shaker,” a reference to the monkey’s habit of jumping between branches.
Researchers then spent several years looking for the species. From 2018 to 2022, they recorded 114 sightings across an area of about 660 square miles (1,700 square kilometers), located between the Lomami and Lualaba rivers.
The team published its findings in the journalPLOS One, confirming that the monkey was not a known species but a new member of the Colobus family.
Orange Lips And Roars Set This Monkey Apart
The newly described monkey has a combination of features that makes it easy to recognize. Its body is mostly covered in shiny black fur, but its face has a bright orange patch around the mouth and nose. It also has gray bare skin on its cheeks and a white patch of fur around its rear.
“We’re going with the face and the rump as the two distinctive traits,” study co-author Kate Detwilertold Live Science. “If you see the face, you see this unique bare skin that’s orange cream. And then if you’re coming from behind, you see this white patch.”
The species is also known for its deep roars and unusual snorting sounds. These calls are different from those of other members of the Colobus group and became another clue that scientists were dealing with a separate species.
DNA tests later confirmed the discovery. Researchers compared samples collected from monkeys killed by hunters and connected to the illegal bushmeat trade with museum specimens and existing genetic data. The results showed that Colobus congoensis had a distinct genetic identity, as described in the study.
Rainforest Evolution Revealed
Genetic analysis revealed that the closest relatives of Colobus congoensis are black colobus monkeys (Colobus satanas) found about 750 miles (1,200 kilometers) away in Cameroon, Gabon and Bioko Island.
The discovery surprised scientists because the two species live far apart. Researchers estimate that their evolutionary paths separatedbetween 5.78 million and 3.44 million years ago, making it the longest known split between species in the Colobus genus.
Because the monkey appears to live in a limited area and faces threats from habitat loss, researchers recommend listing C. congoensis as endangered on the IUCN Red List.
