Overview
- Researchers formally named and described the new species Colobus congoensis after multi-year fieldwork and analysis that confirmed it was not a known colobus monkey.
- The team combined 114 confirmed sightings in the Lomami area with museum comparisons, skull and skin measurements, and recordings of deep roars and snorting vocalizations to diagnose the species.
- Genetic tests on samples from seized bushmeat and museum specimens show C. congoensis is genetically distinct and split from its closest western black-colobus relatives roughly 3.4–5.8 million years ago.
- Sightings and records place the monkey in a small area between the Lomami and Lualaba rivers, largely inside or near Lomami National Park, and researchers say hunting and habitat loss threaten its survival.
- Authors recommend an IUCN Endangered assessment and urge more surveys, genomic work and community-based protection that involves local people who provided key knowledge during the discovery.