Researchers have identified Leopardus tilcayo, a new wild cat species in Bolivia's cloud forests, marking the first wild cat discovery in 100 years. The small, spotted cat was found at a wildlife sanctuary near La Paz and was recognized through genetic testing of two specimens that diverged from other tiger cat lineages 1.4 million years ago. Local Indigenous communities have known of the species for generations, calling it tilcayo.
Biologist Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz discovered a new cat species in Bolivia's Yungas forest in 2016, initially mistaking it for an existing species before genetic analysis revealed it was entirely new to science. Named Leopardus tilcayo after the local term for the animal, it is the first new felid species identified in over 100 years and reshapes our understanding of cat family evolution.