An international research team has formally described a new species of monkey discovered in the remote tropical rainforests of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Named Colobus congoensis, the animal is the first primate to be named after the Democratic Republic of the Congo. According to a paper published in PLOS ONE on July 15, 2026, it is only the fifth new species of African monkey discovered from a previously undocumented population in the last 75 years.
Physical Characteristics and Identification
Commonly known as the Likweli, the monkey is characterized by glossy black fur, a long black tail, and long facial hairs. Its most striking feature is a patch of bare pinkish, orange, or orange-cream skin around its mouth, nostrils, and upper lip. Other distinguishing physical traits include prominent folded ears, a white perianal patch, and fur on its shoulders that resembles a cape.
Weighing approximately 15 pounds (6.8 kg), the Likweli is smaller than other colobus monkeys.
Discovery Timeline and Evidence
The identification of the species followed an investigation spanning more than a decade. The first evidence appeared in 2008 when Bernard Ikembelo and Ashley Vosper photographed an unidentified monkey in the canopy on the east bank of the Lomami River, though the image only showed part of the animal. No further reports followed for ten years.
In November 2018, a surveillance patrol led by Jean-Pierre Kapale captured clearer photographs of a black monkey with pale markings around its mouth and a white patch beneath its tail. Following this, the team documented the animal seven more times over the next 10 months. Between 2018 and 2022, researchers recorded 114 detections of the species through vocalizations, photographs, and direct sightings.
To confirm the discovery, researchers utilized four lines of evidence. In April 2021, park patrols confiscated three dead monkeys—one adult male and two adult females—from hunters. These specimens allowed scientists to analyze DNA, skins, teeth, and skeletons.
Range and Conservation Status
The estimated range of Colobus congoensis is approximately 1,700 square kilometers, primarily located within and around Lomami National Park. This range is significantly smaller than most other species in the genus Colobus, which typically occupy areas exceeding 60,000 square kilometers. The population is naturally isolated by forest barriers and the Congo and Lomami river systems.
Researchers have proposed a preliminary Endangered classification for the species due to its restricted distribution, rarity, and vulnerability to habitat degradation and hunting.
Research and Local Knowledge
The study was led by Kate Detwiler, a professor at Florida Atlantic University. The international team included researchers from New York University, Yale University, and the Lukuru Wildlife Research Foundation. Junior Amboko, a PhD student at Florida Atlantic University, noted that the animals are generally shy and evade detection by climbing high into the canopy.
Local knowledge of the monkey varied by community. Along the eastern edge of the range, Mituku communities call it kasaba nkoni, or the branch shaker.
Villagers of the Balanga group to the west call it Likweli. Despite the discovery, the species remained largely unknown; a survey of 52 communities bordering the range found that only eight locations had residents who recognized or could accurately describe the monkey.
Some mysteries remain regarding the species.
