SCIENTISTS have discovered a mysterious new species of monkey in the Congo rainforest – leaving experts baffled.

The primate with strange orange lips and a pig-like snort was found hidden away in the dense canopy of Lomami National Park.

Conservationists first snapped a blurry picture of the animal back in 2008, but nobody recognised it.

After another sighting ten years later, a team was set up to try and find out more about the rare species.

Over the next four years, experts scoured the park, observing the animal in its natural habitat and recording its voice.

Between 2018 and 2022, there were more a hundred sightings across a range of 1,700 square kms.

Researcher Junior Amboko said: “This discovery is both exciting and deeply personal, highlighting the extraordinary biodiversity of my homeland and how much remains undocumented.”

He told the BBC: “As part of our search, we interviewed people in 52 villages close to where the animals live. And only eight villages [had ever seen] them.”

The PhD student at Florida Atlantic University also clarified that “discovering” a species means officially recording and confirming it has evolved to be genetically distinct.

This is despite some local people already knowing of the monkey’s existence and referring to it as “Likweli”.

The team – made up of researchers from DRC, the US and Germany – say the animal belongs to a larger group of colobus monkeys.

Prof. Kate Detwiler explained: “These are really important African monkeys that don’t have thumbs.

“They’re these herbivores of the canopy that are a critical part of the ecosystem.

“We think they have a lot to do with processing seeds and germination in the forest.”

Detwiler also speculated their unusual facial features could be a way to attract a mate or to allow them to identify each other.

The species also has a long sweeping tail and a distinctive call – similar to the sound of a pig snorting.

“You often hear them, but don’t see them,” Amboko said.

The animal had previously been hunted and sold into the illegal bushmeat trade.

Researchers hope that classification as a distinct species means it can now be protected.

The team will now carry out a more detailed study to estimate their population size and study their behaviour.

Until then, the animal has been given the Latin name Colobus congoensis.

Amboko explained: “The name honours the Democratic Republic of Congo, a country with extraordinary biodiversity, and reflects the incredible natural heritage that continues to reveal new discoveries.

“I hope it also draws greater attention to the importance of conserving these forests and the unique species that call them home.”

However, due to growing hunting pressures and ongoing habitat loss, scientists are proposing the animal also be classified as “endangered”.

Detwiler said: “The discovery of Colobus congoensis is both a scientific triumph and a sobering reminder that some of Earth’s rarest creatures may vanish before the world even knows they exist.”

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