new orange-lipped monkey species identified in congo
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a new species of colobus monkey is pictured in lomami national park in the democratic republic of congo.
daniel rosengren
/
plos one
a new species of monkey — one with a peculiar salmon-hued pout — has been discovered by scientists in the democratic republic of congo.
named colobus congoensis, or “likweli” by locals, scientists say the newly identified black-furred primate is rarely seen, as they mostly live in high, closed-canopy forests in a remote congolese region, according to researchers at florida atlantic university (fau), who were among a group of scientists from the drc, the u.s. and germany involved in the discovery.
the mysterious monkeys were first spotted by two conservationists who photographed them in lomami national park in 2008, researchers said in their findings published in the journal plos one in july.
but the image they captured “revealed only part of the animal,” and it wasn’t until 10 years later that researchers came across the elusive primate again and took a clearer photograph, leading to further investigation of the animals.
very few of them have been spotted
the researchers said between 2018 and 2022, only 114 sightings of the new species have been recorded over an estimated range of 1,700 square kilometres.
through dna and anatomical analysis, and observations of its acoustic features, the researchers were able to confirm that the animal they observed was indeed a distinct species, marking only the fifth new african monkey species identified in the past 75 years, the study said.
“this discovery is both exciting and deeply personal, highlighting the extraordinary biodiversity of my homeland and how much remains undocumented,” said one of the study’s authors, junior amboko, who is a phd student in the department of biological sciences in fau’s charles e. schmidt college of science and a national geographic explorer.
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“i was honoured to name the species ‘colobus congoensis,’ recognizing the congo basin’s remarkable natural heritage and, we believe, marking the first primate named after the democratic republic of congo itself – underscoring both its global importance and local pride.”
villagers named the monkey
speaking to the bbc, amboko said locals rarely spotted the bashful creatures.
“as part of our search, we interviewed people in 52 villages close to where the animals live. and only people in eight villages (had ever seen) them,” he said.
the recommended common name for the monkey, likweli, is a vernacular name given to the species by the balanga people living in communities bordering its range, the researchers said.
they also noted that the mituku communities, who occupy the eastern limits of the range, referred to the species as “kasaba nkoni,” meaning “the branch shaker.”
the researchers said the new species of monkey is distinguished by a “prominent patch of bare skin that is pinkish to orange-cream in colour” around its mouth and nose, and “long black hairs on the forehead and sides of the face.”
they also make a distinct “roaring” sound, amboko told the bbc. “you often hear them, but don’t see them.”
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