New monkey species with orange lips identified; Pluto flyby mission wakes after long sleep
Scientists have identified a new monkey species with distinctive orange lips, while the Pluto flyby mission has reawakened after a nearly 6 billion-mile journey.
Image is an AI-generated illustration, not a real photograph.
Scientists have officially identified a new species of colobus monkey, named *Colobus congoensis* and locally known as "likweli," in the remote rainforests of the Democratic Republic of Congo. This distinctive primate stands out with its prominent orange lips, glossy black fur, and unique roaring vocalizations. Its discovery marks only the fifth new African monkey species documented in the past 75 years, underscoring the rich, yet still underexplored, biodiversity of the region and emphasizing the critical need for conservation efforts.
Meanwhile, NASA's New Horizons spacecraft, renowned for its historic 2015 flyby of Pluto, has successfully reawakened from its longest-ever hibernation. After a 321-day sleep that began in August 2025, the probe, currently situated approximately 6 billion miles from Earth at the solar system's outer edge, reported being in good health. The spacecraft will now transmit the scientific data it gathered during its period of rest as it continues its extended mission to explore the distant Kuiper Belt.
What each outlet emphasizes
- CNN: Reports "Monkey with orange lips identified as newfound species" and "Pluto flyby mission wakes up after long sleep nearly 6 billion miles from Earth."
- BBC: Notes "Watch: What we know about newly discovered monkey species with orange lips New monkey species hailed as 'amazing discovery' by conservationist."
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discoverwildlife.com ↗ livescience.com ↗ eurekalert.org ↗ indiatimes.com ↗ reddit.com ↗