New monkey species, orange-lipped Likweli monkey, known as 'branch shaker,' identified in DRC

International scientists, including researchers from Florida Atlantic University and Yale, have identified a new species of monkey, Colobus congoenisis, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Known locally as the “Likweli” or “branch shaker,” this monkey was officially declared a new species in a paper published July 15 in PLOS One, distinguishing it from other monkeys.

Co-author Junior Amboko chose the name to recognize “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.”

The monkey is characterized by its silky black coat, orange-cream skin around its mouth, and a “quiet and watchful nature.” Weighing about 15 pounds, it is smaller than other colobus species. Genetic studies indicate its closest relative, Colobus satanas, is found over 1,200 kilometers away, with the two species diverging approximately 4 to 5 million years ago, representing one of the oldest known evolutionary splits within the Colobus lineage.