Researchers Describe New Monkey Species in Small Congo Forest Area Between Lomami and Lualaba Rivers

Researchers have formally described a new primate species from the forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The animal, named Colobus congoensis, lives in the interfluve region between the Lomami and Lualaba rivers in east-central Democratic Republic of Congo. The species is the fifth new African monkey formally described in the past 75 years.

Its range covers approximately 1,700 square kilometres, according to The Independent. The first partially obscured photograph was taken in 2008 in the Lomami National Park region. Researchers obtained a clearer image in November 2018.

Scientists confirmed the species through genetic, anatomical, and audio data. They compared skulls and pelts with specimens at the Yale Peabody Museum and the American Museum of Natural History. Colobus congoensis has glossy black fur, cape-like shoulders, a long tail, and a vivid orange-cream patch around the mouth and nose.

It produces deep roaring vocalisations distinct from related Colobus species. Adult individuals weigh 6.8 to 7 kilograms and live in groups of 1 to 20. Local residents in eight of 52 surveyed villages near the habitat reported observations and use the names Likweli or kasaba nkoni.

Junior Amboko, a doctoral candidate at Florida Atlantic University who led fieldwork and is a co-author, named the species. “This discovery is both exciting and deeply personal, highlighting the extraordinary biodiversity of my homeland and how much remains undocumented,” Amboko said. ” The study was published in PLOS One on 15 July 2026, The Independent reported.

Researchers recorded 114 sightings between 2018 and 2022. Scientists have proposed classifying Colobus congoensis as endangered on the IUCN Red List due to its limited range, small population, habitat loss, and hunting pressure. At least 15 new villages were established near the Lomami National Park buffer zone between 2015 and 2023.

John Hart, the study’s first author, said the Congo Basin remains one of the world’s last great frontiers for mammal discovery.