Bouvier's red colobus monkey had not been seen for 50 years and was considered extinct, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, as of 2000, the monkey had not been seen in 25 years and as of 2008, the Pennant's Red Colobus was considered "critically endangered."
Lieven Devreese, an independent field researcher, with partner Gaël Elie Gnondo Gobolo, found a red colobus mom with her baby in the Congo's newly-created Ntokou-Pikounda National Park. "Our photos are the world's first, and confirm that the species is not extinct," Devreese said, according to Mashable.
"We're very pleased indeed that Lieven and Gaël were able to achieve their objective of not only confirming that Bouvier's red colobus still exists, but also managing to get a very clear close-up picture of a mother and infant," said WCS's Fiona Maisels, according to the conservation society's press release. "Thankfully, many of these colobus monkeys live in the recently gazetted national park and are protected from threats such as logging, agriculture, and roads, all of which can lead to increased hunting."
