Scientists have identified a new primate species in a remote forest of the Congo Basin that our donors helped protect! 🐒🌿 With distinctive orange lips and a mane of shaggy black hair, Colobus congoensis stands out among primates in the Congo. But the shy species eluded identification for almost two decades! In 2018, building on a blurry photo taken ten years earlier, scientists began acoustic monitoring, community outreach, and genetic analysis to gather evidence in and around Lomami National Park. This week, the species was formally recognized when the research team published their findings in PLOS One. In 2015, with the Lukuru Wildlife Research Foundation (LWRF), we helped support the creation of Lomami National Park to protect 2.2 million acres of habitat in the Democratic Republic of Congo. 🇨🇩 Little did we know that, along with endangered wildlife like African Forest Elephants and Bonobos, we were helping secure the small stretch of forest that sustains this extremely rare monkey. Without protection, primates and other mammals in this area are highly vulnerable to the commercial bushmeat trade. Our partnership with LWRF also helped establish anti-poaching teams to stop illegal hunting. The world’s newest monkey has a safe haven in Lomami Park, thanks to these teams, our local partner, and our supporters. Protecting rare species like this is only possible because of dedicated donors like you. From all of us at Rainforest Trust, thank you for your unwavering support! 🌎💚