New monkey species with orange lips confirmed in DR Congo forest

KINSHASA, DR Congo - A monkey with striking pinkish-orange lips and a black face, living in the forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo, has been confirmed as a new species to science, according to BBC News, reported 16 July 2026. The black-furred primate, known locally as 'Likweli,' was spotted and photographed hidden in the high tree canopy of Lomami National Park in central-eastern DRC, BBC News said. Conservationists first reported seeing the unusual animal in 2008, capturing only a single blurry photograph. After a further sighting a decade later, an international team from the DRC, the United States and Germany set out to find and study the animal. The team formally described the monkey as Colobus congoensis, the fifth African monkey species identified in the past 75 years, according to the report. Junior Amboko, a PhD student at Florida Atlantic University who led the search, told BBC News it was an 'amazing feeling' to look into the face of an animal so few people knew existed. Prof Kate Detwiler, also of Florida Atlantic University, told BBC News the colobus group are 'herbivores of the canopy that are a critical part of the ecosystem,' helping process seeds and germination in the forest. The researchers interviewed residents of 52 villages near the animals' habitat; only eight villages reported having seen them, suggesting the species is secretive and range-restricted. The monkeys are hunted for meat, and researchers hope that formal classification as a distinct species will enable official protection, BBC News reported. The team plans a detailed survey to estimate population size and study behaviour. The discovery underscores both the richness of the Congo Basin and the role of local knowledge in documenting it, at a time when conservationists warn that undocumented species are especially vulnerable to habitat loss and hunting. Source: BBC News, 16 July 2026. Source Reporters corrects errors promptly; contact the desk with amendments.