Meet Earth's newest wild cat species, the first named in over a century

A previously unidentified species of cat has been discovered in Bolivia, marking the first new living wild cat species to be named in over a century. The small, spotted feline, measuring 18 inches in length and weighing just 3 pounds, was living in plain sight at a wildlife sanctuary when it was noticed by a biologist. Researchers compared the genomes of over 30 cats from various locations to determine that the sanctuary cat belonged to a species that split from its relatives about 1.4 million years ago.

The new species, named Leopardus tilcayo, was given this name to honor communities in Bolivia's tropical cloud forests. Despite local knowledge of the cat's existence, it had never been formally recognized by science. The discovery provides insight into the hidden diversity within the cat family and highlights the need for conservation efforts to protect the species' habitat from threats such as deforestation and mining.