Though known to locals, it was unknown to the international scientific community until it was discovered in 2007 and confirmed in a 2012 publication.

Its distinctiveness is its human-like eyes, genital area and booming dawn chorus.

[6][7] The lesula lives in rainforests in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with the 2007 specimen found in captivity in the village of Opala.

The lesula's range is within the Tshuapa–Lomami–Lualaba Conservation Landscape, and the Lomami National Park has been proposed to protect this and other species in the region.

The Lesula's days consist of leisurely activities such as foraging for fruits and vegetation, grooming, and resting.