A monkey with pinkish-orange lips and a black face living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been confirmed as a new species to science.

The primate was seen hiding in the high treetops of the dense tropical forests of Lomami National Park, in the central east of the country.

Conservationists reported seeing the animal in 2008. But it wasn’t until another sighting, 10 years later, that an international team set out to find and study the monkey.

Dr Karen Laurenson, Africa director at the Zoological Society of Frankfurt, said the discovery was “surprising” and showed there was still “a lot in the natural world that needs to be explored”.

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