According to a Thursday announcement by the Washington DC-based environmental nonprofit group Conservation International, a new species - Callicebus caquetensis - of the titi monkey has been discovered in the southern forests of Colombia.

The fourth of the titi monkey species to inhabit the South American country’s southern forests, the Callicebus caquetensis species essentially comprises cat-sized creatures with grayish-brown hair, a bushy red beard, and a long, prehensile tail is stippled with grey fur. The species is critically endangered, at present, because of rapid habitat loss and its small population.

Though research from 30 years back had hinted that a previously unknown primate species is probably living in Colombia’s Caquetá region, near the Ecuadorian and Peruvian border; violence and uprising had largely made the area an ‘off limits’ territory for decades.

It was only in 2008 that scientists Thomas Defler, Marta Bueno and student Javier García of the National University of Colombia proved the existence of the Callicebus caquetensis.

Commenting on the discovery of the Callicebus caquetensis species, Professor Thomas Defler said: “This discovery is extremely exciting because we had heard about this animal, but for a long time we could not confirm if it was different from other titis. We now know that this is a unique species, and it shows the rich diversity of life that is still to be discovered in the Amazon.”