Tiny wild cat newly identified as a species draws curious visitors in Bolivia

A tiny wild cat with leopard-like spots, discovered in the cloud forests of Bolivia, has become an unlikely tourist attraction. The cat, named Tigrino, is actually a brand new species, Leopardus tilcayo, the first living wild cat species described by scientists in over a century. Standing at just 18 inches tall and weighing 3 pounds, Tigrino is smaller than the average house cat.

Despite his size, Tigrino is highly stressed by human attention, so he remains out of public view at the Senda Verde Wildlife Sanctuary near La Paz. The discovery of this new species has sparked excitement on social media, drawing visitors from across Bolivia and beyond to see the small feline. Sanctuary co-founder Marcelo Levy notes that Tigrino's newfound fame has helped raise awareness about the importance of protecting wild cats and their habitats in Bolivia's tropical forests.