Scientists discover new wild cat species after 100 years

After more than a century without a new discovery, scientists have identified a previously unknown species of wild cat in Bolivia. The Tilcayo tiger cat, a small feline with a distinctive spotted coat resembling a leopard, was first spotted in the mountainous Yungas region near Bolivia’s capital, La Paz. Local residents initially mistook the creature for a common house cat, according to biologist and National Geographic explorer Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz, who played a role in the research team.

The animal’s nickname, "tilcayo," provided the basis for its scientific name, *Leopardus tilcayo*. Nogales-Ascarrunz described the discovery as a "remarkable event, because a new wild cat species hasn’t been described in 100 years." This cat is the first new feline discovered since the Uruguayan pampas cat in 1923. The tilcayo is smaller than a domestic cat, measuring around 45 centimeters in length, with rounded ears.

So far, only two tilcayos have been found, with one male currently residing at an animal shelter in Yungas and a female released back into the wild after facing local hostility. Researchers published their findings on Thursday in the journal *Current Biology*, concluding a research effort initiated in 2021. While the tilcayo has only been observed in Bolivia, scientists classify it as vulnerable to extinction, with its small population putting it at risk of even greater threat.