New Monkey Species Discovered in Congo Rainforest

A new monkey species, Colobus congoensis, has been identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The species is locally called “Likweli” and belongs to the colobus monkeys, a group of Old World monkeys found in Africa.

Taxonomy and Identification

Colobus congoensis was confirmed through genetic, anatomical, and acoustic analyses. Its closest known relative is Colobus satanas, and the two species are separated by more than 1,200 kilometres. The estimated evolutionary divergence between the two species is 4 to 5 million years. The discovery was published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS One on 15 July 2026.

Physical Features of the Species

The Likweli monkey is primarily black in colour. It has pinkish-orange lips or orange-cream patches around the mouth and nose, bare grey cheekbones, and a white patch of fur around the anus. These external features were used along with vocal and genetic data to distinguish the species from other colobus monkeys in Central Africa.

Distribution and Habitat in the Congo Basin

The species has a very small estimated range of about 1,700 square kilometres, or 650 to 660 square miles. Its known range lies between the Lomami and Lilo rivers in the Congo Basin, mainly inside Lomami National Park. The first blurry photograph of the monkey was taken in 2008 during an expedition along the Lomami River. Clearer sightings in 2018 led to a dedicated search for the species. Lomami National Park is a protected area in the Democratic Republic of Congo and forms part of the Congo Basin rainforest ecosystem.

Conservation Status and Scientific Context

Researchers have recommended Endangered status for the species on the IUCN Red List. The recommendation is based on its limited range, small population size, habitat loss, and hunting pressure. This is only the fifth new African monkey species identified in the last 75 years. The discovery involved researchers from Florida Atlantic University, Lukuru Wildlife Research Foundation, Yale University, the City University of New York, Lomami National Park, and Frankfurt Zoological Society.

Important Facts for Exams

• The Congo Basin is the world’s second-largest tropical rainforest region after the Amazon.
• Old World monkeys belong to the family Cercopithecidae and are native to Africa and Asia.
• The IUCN Red List is the global inventory used to assess the conservation status of species.
• Lomami National Park is also associated with the discovery of the Lesula monkey, Cercopithecus lomamiensis, in 2012.