A new species of colobus monkey, distinguished by a vivid orange-cream patch around its mouth and a mask-like black face, has been formally described from the rainforests of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The description, published in PLOS One, makes Colobus congoensis only the fifth new African monkey species to be recognised in the past 75 years. Known locally as Likweli, the primate weighs about 7 kg, lives in small groups averaging six individuals, and occupies a narrow range of roughly 1,700 square kilometres between the Lomami and Lualaba rivers in the east-central part of the country.

The discovery followed a two-decade trail that began with a single blurred photograph in 2008. Clearer images obtained a decade later prompted an international field study between 2018 and 2022, combining camera-trap sightings, dawn acoustic recordings, and interviews across 52 villages. Genetic analysis of three confiscated specimens—two females and one male—revealed a deep evolutionary split from its closest relative, the black colobus (Colobus satanas), dated to four to five million years ago. The species’ distinctive roaring call, described as resembling a frog or pig snort, helped researchers distinguish it from other colobus monkeys, as did anatomical comparisons with museum collections in the United States.

A team led by Florida Atlantic University, with researchers from the DRC, the US, and Germany, confirmed the species status. Junior Amboko, a Congolese PhD candidate, played a central role in the fieldwork and genetic analysis. Local communities in eight of the surveyed villages, primarily from the Balanga ethnic group, already recognised the monkey and referred to it as Likweli, but its shy, canopy-dwelling habits kept it largely hidden. While the core of its range lies within Lomami National Park, the species faces pressure from bushmeat hunting and habitat loss; at least 15 new villages have appeared near the park buffer zone since 2015. The authors have proposed that the International Union for Conservation of Nature classify C. congoensis as Endangered.

The next factual milestone will be a formal IUCN Red List assessment, alongside planned surveys to estimate population size and document behaviour. Researchers view the discovery as a signal that the central Congo Basin, even in areas under nominal protection, still harbours undocumented mammal diversity requiring urgent conservation attention.