A monkey with striking pinkish-orange lips and a black face has been confirmed as a new species, nearly 20 years after it was first glimpsed in the dense canopy of the Democratic Republic of Congo's Lomami National Park.
The black-furred primate, known locally as 'Likweli', belongs to the Colobus genus and has been given the Latin name Colobus congoensis. It is only the fifth African monkey species to be discovered in the last 75 years.
“Scientists confirm a new monkey species with striking orange lips discovered in DR Congo after nearly 20 years.”
Conservationists first spotted the animal in 2008, capturing only a blurry photograph of part of its body. A decade later, in November 2018, researchers encountered it again and obtained a clearer image, sparking an international investigation. Between 2018 and 2022, the team recorded 114 sightings across an estimated range of 1,700 square kilometres.
Junior Amboko, a PhD student at Florida Atlantic University who played a leading role in the search, described it as an “amazing feeling” to look into the face of an animal that so few people knew existed. “As part of our search, we interviewed people in 52 villages close to where the animals live,” he told the BBC. “And only people in eight villages had ever seen them.”
The research team, drawn from the DRC, the US and Germany, used audio recordings, photography and genetic studies to confirm the monkey as genetically distinct. Genetic analysis showed it diverged from its closest known relative four to five million years ago.
Prof Kate Detwiler, also from Florida Atlantic University, explained the monkeys' ecological role: “They’re these herbivores of the canopy that are a critical part of the ecosystem. We think they have a lot to do with processing seeds and germination in the forest.” She speculated that the bright facial markings could serve as a visual signal to attract mates or for identification.
The species also has a distinctive call – described by some researchers as a roaring sound and by others as a pig-like snort. “You often hear them, but don’t see them,” Amboko said.
Despite being newly documented, Likweli may already be at risk. Because of its extremely limited range, small population size, growing hunting pressure and habitat loss, scientists have proposed that it be classified as ‘endangered’ on the IUCN Red List. The findings were published in the journal PLoS One.
Researchers said the most important conservation actions are protection of Lomami National Park and engagement of local communities to stop hunting the species. Whether that will be enough to save the shy, canopy-dwelling monkey remains uncertain.