Congo Monkeys: The Democratic Republic of the Congo, the second-largest African country, is known for its vast biodiversity and natural resources.
Congo is also home to 35 Old World monkeys, with 18 endemic species. Some examples of these endemic species include the golden-bellied mangabey (Cercocebus chrysogaster), the wolf’s monkey (Cercopithecus wolfi), and the Ulindi river red colobus (Piliocolobus lulindicus).
In 2007, a new species of medium-sized monkey–the lesula (Cercopithecus lomamiensis) was discovered in Congo[1]. It is believed that the species had evaded all scientific radar until then due to its remote habitat (the forests in the middle Lomami Basin)[2].
Interestingly, the lesula was just the second new African monkey species to be discovered in over twenty-eight years[3].
Congo Monkeys
Here are the monkeys living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Agile Mangabey
Species Name: Cercocebus agilisNative Countries: Cameroon,Equatorial Guinea,Gabon,Democratic Republic of Congo,Central African Republic
The Agile Mangabey is another Old-World monkey of the White-Eylid Mangabey group mainly found in swampy forests. Due to habitat loss, mangabeys are now listed as endangered, both male and female.
Allen’s Swamp Monkey
Species Name: Allenopithecus nigroviridisNative Countries: Cameroon,Democratic Republic of Congo
Allen's swamp monkeys are small, stocky monkeys with gray to brown fur and long tails. These highly social primates live in the swamp forests of central Africa, where they mostly spend their time in the trees. It was named after Joel Asaph Allen, an American zoologist.
Angolan Colobus
Species Name: Colobus angolensisNative Countries: Democratic Republic of Congo,Burundi,Uganda,Kenya,Tanzania
The Angolan Colobus is a conspicuously-patterned monkey with a very long tail that helps it maintain its balance as it moves quickly through the trees. Although the species is named after Angola, it's rare in this country.
Black colobus
Native Countries: Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Gabon, Democratic Republic of Congo
The black colobus, also known as satanic black colobus, is a species of Old-World monkey in the Colobus genus. The black colobus is the oldest of the 5 recognized species in the genus Colobus and is said to have diverged 3 to 4 million years ago.
Black-crested mangabey
Species Name: Lophocebus aterrimusNative Countries: Democratic Republic of Congo,Angola
Black-crested mangabeys, also known as black mangabeys, are endemic to central Africa, occupying the Democratic Republic of the Congo, south of the Congo River (formerly known as the Zaire River), and likely extinct in Angola. They are mainly found in primary and secondary tropical forests, gallery forests, and swamps. Locals nicknamed these primates "baboon mangabeys" due to their resemblance to the baboon species.
Bonobo
Species Name: Pan paniscusNative Countries: Democratic Republic of Congo
The bonobo (Pan paniscus) is a great ape in danger of extinction. It is one of two species that make up the Pan genus, the other being Pan troglodytes - the common chimpanzee. Bonobos are both arboreal and terrestrial. Most floor movements are characterized by knuckle quadrupedal walking.
Bouvier’s Red Colobus
Species Name: Piliocolobus bouvieriNative Countries: Democratic Republic of Congo
Bouvier's Red Colobus was rediscovered in 2015 in the Republic of Congo after four decades without confirmed sightings. These African primates live in the swampy forests surrounding the Congo River, between the mouths of the Oubangui and Alima rivers.
Collared Mangabey
Species Name: Cercocebus torquatusNative Countries: Cameroon,Democratic Republic of Congo,Equatorial Guinea,Gabon,Nigeria
The collared mangabey, also called the white-collared mangabey or red-capped mangabey, is an Old-World monkey endemic to the Atlantic coast of central and west Africa. Its distinctive chestnut-red cap gives the species the name red-capped mangabey, and its white collar gives it the names white-collared and collared mangabey.
Common Chimpanzee
Species Name: Pan troglodytesNative Countries: Sierra Leone,Angola,Tanzania,Democratic Republic of Congo
The chimpanzee, also known simply as the chimp, is a species of great ape native to the forests and savannas of tropical Africa. Chimpanzees and humans are thought to have a common ancestor that lived about eight million years ago.
Crested Mona Monkey
Species Name: Cercopithecus pogoniasNative Countries: Nigeria,Cameroon,Angola,Democratic Republic of Congo
The crested mona monkey, also called the golden-bellied monkey, golden-bellied guenon, or crowned guenon, is a species of African primate in the Cercopithecidae family in west-central Africa. Like many species of Cercopithecus, the crested mona monkey has large cheek pouches that it fills with seeds and fruit while foraging for food.
Dent’s Mona Monkey
Species Name: Cercopithecus dentiNative Countries: Democratic Republic of Congo,Uganda,Rwanda,Central African Republic
The expressive face of Dent's mona monkey is characterized by golden eyes; a flat, long, dark nose; and a pink chin and mouth. Dent mona monkeys are often found in the company of other primate species.
Dryas Monkey
Species Name: Chlorocebus dryasNative Countries: Democratic Republic of Congo
The Dryas monkey, also called the Salonga monkey, Inoko, or Ekele is a little-known Old World primate only found in the Congo Basin and restricted to the Congo River's left bank. Unlike guenon monkeys, which make loud leaps and resounding calls, dryas monkeys move silently.
Eastern Gorilla
Species Name: Gorilla beringeiNative Countries: Democratic Republic of Congo,Rwanda,Uganda
The eastern gorilla is an endangered species of the Gorilla genus and the largest living primate, with an average length of 150 cm for females and 185 cm for males. Eastern gorillas live in stable and cohesive family groups led by a dominant silverback male.
Foa’s Red Colobus
Species Name: Piliocolobus foaiNative Countries: Democratic Republic of Congo
Foa's Red Colobus or Central African red colobus is endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Generally, these African primates are found in large groups of 20 to 90 individuals.
Gabon Talapoin
Species Name: Miopithecus ogouensisNative Countries: Gabon,Cameroon,Equatorial Guinea,Democratic Republic of Congo
The Gabon talapoin, also called the northern talapoin, is a small species of African primate endemic to riverine habitats in Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, the far western Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the western Republic of the Congo.
Golden Angwantibo
Species Name: Arctocebus aureusNative Countries: Cameroon,Democratic Republic of Congo,Equatorial Guinea,Gabon
The golden angwantibo is a strepsirrhine primate of the Lorisidae family. Bärenmaki, meaning "lemur bear," is the German name for the golden angwantibo due to its bear-like appearance. However, we see no resemblance.
Golden-Bellied Mangabey
Species Name: Cercocebus chrysogasterNative Countries: Democratic Republic of Congo
The golden-bellied mangabey (Cercocebus chrysogaster) is a gregarious Old-World monkey found in humid, swampy forests south of the Congo River. Golden-bellied mangabeys are a migratory and social species, moving in groups of 8 to 30 members.
Greater Spot-Nosed Monkey
Species Name: Cercopithecus nictitansNative Countries: Guinea,Democratic Republic of Congo
The greater spot-nosed monkey (Cercopithecus nictitans), also called the greater white-nosed monkey, putty-nosed monkey, and white-nosed guenons, is among the smallest Old-World monkeys. Great spot-nosed monkeys have a polygamous mating system in which a resident adult male coexists with multiple adult females and their young.
Hamlyn’s Monkey
Species Name: Cercopithecus hamlyniNative Countries: Democratic Republic of Congo
The Hamlyn's monkey (Cercopithecus hamlyni), also called the owl-faced monkey, is an Old World monkey inhabiting the Congo's bamboo and primary rain forests. Hamlyn's monkeys have unique feet and hands in elongated phalanges.
Kinda Baboon
Species Name: Papio kindaeNative Countries: Angola,Democratic Republic of Congo,Zambia,Tanzania
The Kinda baboon (Papio kindae) is a species of baboon found in the Miombo forests of Angola, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and possibly western Tanzania. The species is named after the town in the southern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
L’hoest Monkey
Species Name: Allochrocebus lhoestiNative Countries: Democratic Republic of Congo
The L'Hoest monkey (Allocrocebus lhoesti), or mountain monkey, is a vervet monkey found in the upper eastern Congo Basin. L'Hoest monkeys live in relatively small groups, are dominated by females, and have only one male.
Lang’s Red Colobus
Species Name: Piliocolobus langiNative Countries: Democratic Republic of Congo
Lang's red colobus (Piliocolobus langi) is another species of red colobus monkey. Historically, it was treated as a subspecies of the Central African red colobus (Piliocolobus foai). Still, more recent taxonomies generally treat it as a distinct species.
Lomami Red Colobus
Species Name: Piliocolobus parmentieriNative Countries: Democratic Republic of Congo
The Lomami red colobus (Piliocolobus parmentieri) is native to central Africa. The Lomani red colobus monkey has a restricted range in the lowland rainforest between the Lomani River and the Lualaba River in the central Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Malbrouck
Species Name: Chlorocebus cynosurosNative Countries: Democratic Republic of Congo,Namibia,Zambia
The Malbrouck (Chlorocebus cynosuros) is an Old-World primate from Africa that belongs to the Chlorocebus genus. The species is sometimes classified as a subspecies of the green monkey (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) or the common grivet (Chlorocebus aethiops).
Mandrill
Species Name: Mandrillus sphinxNative Countries: Cameroon,Gabon,Equatorial Guinea,Democratic Republic of Congo
The mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx) is a primate of the Old-World monkey family (Cercopithecidae). It is among the two species in the Mandrillus genus and drill. Groups of mandrills can vary from a few individuals to 50 individuals.
Moustached Guenon
Species Name: Cercopithecus cephusNative Countries: Angola,Cameroon,Central African Republic,Democratic Republic of Congo,Equatorial Guinea,Gabon
The mustached monkey or moustached guenon (Cercopithecus cephus) is a primate species in the Cercopithecidae family. Moustached monkeys take regular paths through the branches, with each monkey following the next along the same path.
Oustalet’s Red Colobus
Species Name: Piliocolobus oustaletiNative Countries: Sudan,Central African Republic,Democratic Republic of Congo
(Piliocolobus oustaleti) is another species of red colobus that lives in various forest types in the southern Central African Republic, southern South Sudan, northern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and northeastern Congo.
Pennant’s Red Colobus
Species Name: Piliocolobus pennantiiNative Countries: Equatorial Guinea,Nigeria,Democratic Republic of Congo
Pennant's Colobus or Pennant's Red Colobus (Piliocolobus pennantii) is a species of arboreal primate in the Cercopithecidae family. Like other red colobus monkeys, the Pennant's red colobus lives in flocks that may consist of 12 to 80 individuals occupying a territory of 25 to 150 hectares.
Schmidt’s Red-tailed Monkey
Species Name: Cercopithecus ascaniusNative Countries: Angola,Cameroon,Central African Republic,Democratic Republic of Congo,Kenya,Rwanda,Sudan,Tanzania,Uganda,Zambia,Burundi
The Schmidt's red-tailed monkey, also called the red-tailed guenon, Schmidt's guenon, or black-cheeked white-nosed monkey is a primate species in the Cercopithecidae family. The Schmidt's red-tailed monkey is named for its red coloration on the underside of its tail, as well as the bicolor coloration of its tail as the reddish color increases from the base to the tip.
Semliki Red Colobus
Species Name: Piliocolobus semlikiensisNative Countries: Democratic Republic of Congo,Uganda
The Semliki red colobus (Piliocolobus semlikiensis) is native to central Africa. The Semliki red colobus lives in the ironwood forest of the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo between the Rwenzori Mountains and the Semliki River valley.
Tantalus Monkey
Species Name: Chlorocebus tantalusNative Countries: Benin,Burkina Faso,Cameroon,Central African Republic,Chad,Democratic Republic of Congo,Ghana,Kenya,Niger,Nigeria,Sudan,Togo,Uganda
The tantalus monkey (Chlorocebus tantalus) is an Old World monkey endemic to Africa, ranging from Ghana to Sudan. It was initially described as a subspecies of Grivet (Chlorocebus aethiops). Tantalus monkeys are very similar to vervet monkeys but are smaller in size.
Thollon’s Red Colobus
Species Name: Piliocolobus tholloniNative Countries: Democratic Republic of Congo
The Thollon's red colobus (Piliocolobus tholloni), also called the Tshuapa red colobus, is native to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Lower Republic of the Congo. It was recognized as a separate species by Dandelot in 1974, followed by Groves in 2001.
Ulindi River Red Colobus
Species Name: Piliocolobus lulindicusNative Countries: Democratic Republic of Congo
The Ulindi River red colobus (Piliocolobus lulindicus) is native to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This Red Colobus species is named after the Ulindi River.
Western Gorilla
Species Name: Gorilla gorillaNative Countries: Central African Republic,Equatorial Guinea,Gabon,Nigeria,Democratic Republic of Congo,Angola
Western gorillas also known as lowland gorillas, are herbivorous, primarily terrestrial apes that inhabit equatorial Africa's tropical rainforests. Like humans, western gorillas do not have a set breeding season, and female species menstruate every 28 days.
Wolf’s Mona Monkey
Species Name: Cercopithecus wolfiNative Countries: Democratic Republic of Congo,Uganda
The Wolf's mona monkey (Cercopithecus wolfi), also called the wolf monkey, is a colorful Old-World monkey in the Cercopithecidae family. Wolf's mona monkeys have huge cheek pouches.
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