Monkey wey get pinkish-orange lips and black face don finally get recognition as new species for science. Dis black-furred primate dey hide for high tree canopy inside dense tropical forests for Lomami National Park, for central east of Democratic Republic of Congo.
Conservationists wey dey work for dat area first report say dem see dis unusual animal for 2008, but dem only catch one blurry photo. After another sighting 10 years later, international team set out to find and study the monkey, and dem reveal say na previously unknown species.
Dis na only di fifth African monkey species wey dem discover for last 75 years. Junior Amboko, PhD student for Florida Atlantic University, play leading role for di search, wey involve audio recordings, photography and detailed genetic studies. Di findings dem publish for journal PLoS One.
Amboko tell BBC News say na “amazing feeling” to look into di face of animal wey so few people know say e exist. “Discovering” species for dis context mean say dem officially record and confirm say e don evolve to be genetically distinct.
Some local people already know di monkey dem and dey call am by common name – Likweli. But Amboko say di monkeys dem “kind of shy” and dey hide high for trees. “As part of our search, we interview people for 52 villages close to where di animals live. And only people for eight villages [don ever see] dem,” e recall.
Di research team – from DRC, US and Germany – give di animal Latin name Colobus congoensis for recognition of natural diversity for di country. E belong to larger group of colobus monkeys. “These are really important African monkeys wey no get thumbs,” explain Prof Kate Detwiler from Florida Atlantic University.
“Dem na herbivores of di canopy wey be critical part of di ecosystem. We think dem get plenty to do with processing seeds and germination for di forest.” Prof Detwiler speculate say dia unusual bright facial markings fit be visual signal to other animals, maybe attractive to mate or allow di animals to identify each other.
Di monkeys also get distinctive “roaring” call. “You often hear dem, but no see dem,” say Amboko. Dem think di animals rare and restricted to part of forest where dem fit find food and habitat wey dem need. Di animals dem dey hunt for meat, so di researchers hope say now wey Colobus congoensis don classify as distinct species, e fit get official protection.
Di researchers say dem still get plenty questions about dis newly described secretive species. Dem plan to carry out more detailed survey to estimate dia population and study dia behaviour.
