New monkey species with orange lips discovered in forests of DR Congo

A newly discovered species of monkey with distinctive orange lips has been discovered deep in the forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The small primate, called Colobus congoensis, was found in the Lomami National Park, in the country's centre east, and is distinguished by its pale markings around the mouth.

The monkey has occasionally been sighted by locals and given the informal name Likweli, but it had not been officially declared as a distinct species until the findings were published in a scientific journal on Thursday.

The species was first photographed by conservationists in 2008, with the image that only captured "part of the animal" raising speculation that the monkey was a new variety.

It wasn't until a decade later that field researcher Jean Pierre Kapale led an expedition to confirm its existence, and photographed the monkey seven more times in different locations.

There have since been 114 field sightings between 2018 and 2022, within an estimated range of 1,056 miles (1,700km) in the forests of DRC.

The monkey's black fur with "pale markings around its mouth and a white perianal patch" is "unlike those of any known primate species in the area", a research article published in PLOS One said.

The discovery marks only the fifth time that a new monkey species has been discovered in Africa in 75 years, the paper said.

The conservationists who co-authored the paper - including Junior D Amboko, John A Hart and Julia L Arenson - proposed that Colobus congoensis should be added to the endangered species list due to its small population.

"Expansions of human populations from the current areas of settlement are ongoing, with at least 15 new villages added within and adjacent to the range of C. congoensis in the Lomami National Park buffer zone between 2015 and 2023," the paper said.

"If these demographic and land-use changes continue, we anticipate significant reductions of C. congoensis populations and loss of habitat in the buffer zone over the upcoming decades."

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The species is described as "quiet and cryptic" and is not widely known by local communities near its habitat in close-canopy and elevated tropical forests.

"This contrasts with the extensive knowledge of other primates in these communities," the paper said.

"Residents in only eight out of the 52 surveyed localities bordering the new species' range reported knowledge of the primate and could accurately describe it."

The people of the Balanga ethnic group living to the west of the Lomami River shared their name for the species, Likweli, with researchers.

Local Mituku communities know the species as kasaba nkoni, which means "the branchshaker".

The monkey is known to communicate by making a roaring noise, with researchers recording six roars on camera during their documentation of the species.

(c) Sky News 2026: New monkey species with orange lips discovered in forests of DR Congo