Thought extinct for decades, a rare monkey is captured on film for the first time

[Omaha Steve]

The first photograph ever taken of Bouvier's red colobus (an adult female and infant). The image was taken in the Republic of Congo's Ntokou-Pikounda National Park in early March. (Lieven Devreese)


http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2015/04/16/thought-extinct-for-decades-a-rare-monkey-is-captured-on-film-for-the-first-time/

By Rachel Feltman April 16

Thanks to the power of Internet crowdfunding, a monkey long lost has now been found.

In 2014, primatologist Lieven Devreese put out a plea on Indiegogo: He needed $2,500 to go on an expedition to the Republic of Congo. His mission was to catch a glimpse of a monkey he wasn't even sure existed anymore. But against all odds, he and Gaël Elie Gnondo Gobolo have now released the first-ever photo of the rare species.

Bouvier's red colobus monkey was discovered back in the 1800s, and a couple of specimens can be found locked away in museums. But it had never been caught on camera, and the last confident sightings of the monkey occurred decades ago. Because the monkeys are known to stare down at humans from the trees instead of hiding from them, many conservationists worried that they'd gone extinct -- easy victims of the active bushmeat trade.

FULL story at link.

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