New Monkey Species Discovered in the DRC’s Congo Rainforest

Scientists have formally identified a previously undocumented monkey species living in the dense rainforests of the Democratic Republic of Congo, adding another remarkable animal to the country’s globally important natural heritage.

The species has been given the scientific name Colobus congoensis. Researchers recommend Likweli as its common name, following the name used by Balanga communities living near its range.

The discovery was described in a peer-reviewed study published in PLOS ONE on 15 July 2026. It is only the fifth new African monkey species discovered from a population previously unknown to science during the past 75 years.

The animal was not “created” or newly arrived in the forest. It had lived there for generations and was known to a small number of local residents. What is new is its formal scientific identification as a species distinct from every other known monkey.

Meet Likweli, the orange-lipped monkey

Likweli has glossy black fur, a long tail and distinctive orange-cream markings around its mouth and nose. Long black hairs frame its face, while large folded ears and a white patch beneath its tail help distinguish it from related colobus monkeys.

It is smaller than many of its relatives, weighing approximately 6.8 kilograms, or about 15 pounds. Researchers most often observed the monkeys in small groups averaging around six animals.

The species lives high in closed-canopy forest in and around Lomami National Park, between the Lomami and Congo, or Lualaba, rivers in east-central DRC. Its known range covers only about 1,700 square kilometres.

This remote habitat and the animal’s quiet behaviour helped it remain outside the formal scientific record for so long.

The discovery began with a photograph in 2008