Meet the Newest Living Cat Species, the First Described in 100 Years
Genetic analysis of 38 Leopardus cats showed the tiger-cat group has five species, and L. tilcayo has been separate for about 1.4 million years.
- Scientists formally described a small spotted wild cat from Bolivia as a new species, marking the first genuinely new living feline species formally named in more than 100 years.
- In 2016, Bolivian biologist Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz examined an unusual kitten at a wildlife sanctuary, where a local man had brought the animal thinking it was a domestic cat.
- The DNA changed the picture as researchers compared genomes of 38 Leopardus individuals; the analysis confirmed the lineage split from other tiger cats around 1.4 million years ago.
- People reportedly told researchers the animal had a local name passed down through generations, suggesting the cat was familiar to people in the region long before scientists officially recognized it.
- Researchers now need to determine how widespread the cat is and what threats it faces, as camera-trap records remain limited in the Yungas region of Bolivia.
26 Articles
26 Articles
It has a small face, short and rounded ears, and long moustaches. Its fur is light brown covered by dark rosettes, large, irregular and mostly open
It is more tiny than our room tigers and not only because of this it is a separate chapter of evolution. For millions of years, the Tilcayo cat has lived so hidden in the mountain forests of Bolivia that it successfully outsmarted science. Its present discovery is considered an ecological sensation.
Tiny wild cat newly identified as a species draws curious visitors in Bolivia
COROICO, Bolivia (AP) — A tiny wild cat hidden away in the cloud forests of Bolivia has become an unlikely tourist attraction, drawing a stream of visitors hoping for a glimpse of the animal that scientists have identified as a…
Tiny wild cat newly identified as a species draws curious visitors in Bolivia - WXXV News 25
A small spotted wild cat identified as a new species, Leopardus tilcayo, walks inside Senda Verde wildlife sanctuary in Bolivia’s Yungas region, near Coroico, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)COROICO, Bolivia (AP) — A tiny wild cat hidden away in the cloud forests of Bolivia has become an unlikely tourist attraction, drawing a stream of visitors hoping for a...
New wild cat species draws curious visitors
COROICO, Bolivia — A tiny wild cat hidden away in the cloud forests of Bolivia has become an unlikely tourist attraction, drawing a stream of visitors hoping for a glimpse of the animal that scientists have identified as a brand-new species. Read more...
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