A previously unknown species of monkey with striking pinkish-orange lips and a black face has been confirmed in the forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Known locally as "Likweli," this black-furred primate was found hidden high in the tree canopy of Lomami National Park in the central east of the country.

Conservationists first reported sightings of this unusual animal in 2008. After another sighting ten years later, an international research team from the DRC, the US, and Germany conducted audio recordings, photography, and genetic studies to officially confirm the species. The monkey has been given the Latin name Colobus congoensis in recognition of the country's natural diversity and belongs to the larger group of colobus monkeys.

Junior Amboko, a PhD student at Florida Atlantic University who played a leading role in the search, described the monkeys as "kind of shy" and noted they tend to hide high in the trees. The team also interviewed people in 52 nearby villages to aid their research. The findings were published in the journal PLoS One.

This discovery marks only the fifth African monkey species identified in the last 75 years. Prof Kate Detwiler from Florida Atlantic University highlighted the Likweli monkey's distinctive roaring call as a key characteristic.

Junior Amboko reflected on the experience, saying it was an "amazing feeling" to look into the face of an animal that so few people knew existed.

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