Scientists identify new wild cat species in Bolivia, first in over a century

Scientists have identified a new species of wild cat living in Bolivia’s Yungas cloud forest, marking the first description of a new living cat species in more than 100 years.

The small spotted feline has been given the scientific name Leopardus tilcayo, taking its name from the word local communities already used for the animal.

The tilcayo is smaller than an average domestic cat, measuring about 45 centimetres from head to body and weighing roughly 1.3 to 1.4 kilograms.

Although local people had encountered the animal before, researchers only recently confirmed through advanced genetic analysis that it represents a distinct species.

Scientists compared complete genomic data from dozens of cats in the Leopardus genus and concluded that the tilcayo had diverged from related tiger cats approximately 1.4 million years ago.

The findings were published in the scientific journal Current Biology.

One of the known animals was taken to a wildlife sanctuary after a local family found it as a kitten and initially believed it to be an unusual domestic cat.

Researchers currently know very little about the species.

Available evidence suggests that the tilcayo may be nocturnal and feed on small rodents, but scientists still lack detailed information about its reproduction, population size and wider distribution.

So far, the species has only been documented in Bolivia’s Yungas region.

Researchers have also raised conservation concerns because the forest ecosystem faces pressures including deforestation, agriculture and mining.

The identification highlights how genetic technology is helping scientists distinguish animal species that may look very similar externally but have significantly different evolutionary histories.