A new species of wild cat, dubbed the tilcayo tiger cat (leopardus tilcayo), has been identified for the first time in a century in the Bolivian Yungas. The cat is described as smaller than an average house cat, with rounded ears, a slender build, and spotted fur.
The discovery was detailed in the journal Current Biology. According to NBC News, the cat's existence was initially brought to light when a local man found what he believed to be a domestic kitten. The man took the animal in and attempted to care for it, feeding it noodles, rice, and eggs, before realizing it was wild and could not be properly cared for. He then brought the animal to a wildlife sanctuary.
Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz, a co-author of the study, encountered the cat at the sanctuary. Initially suspected to be a known species of wild cat, genetic testing conducted by Nogales-Ascarrunz confirmed it to be a distinct species. While new to researchers, the existence of the tilcayo tiger cat has long been known to Indigenous communities in the region, who refer to it as 'tilcayo', a name the researchers intend to preserve.
Conservation of leopardus tilcayo is a primary concern. The five tiger cat species native to Central and South America inhabit regions already facing environmental challenges due to development and agricultural expansion. The exact population size of the newly identified species in the wild remains unclear.