Scientists have formally identified a previously unknown species of wild cat in Bolivia, marking the first time in more than a century that a new living feline species has been described.
The small spotted cat, named Leopardus tilcayo, was identified in Bolivia’s mountainous Yungas region, a cloud-forest ecosystem on the eastern slopes of the Andes.
Known locally as the tilcayo, the animal is smaller than an average domestic cat, measuring about 46 centimetres in length and weighing approximately 1.4 kilogrammes.
Researchers described the animal as having light-brown fur covered with irregular rosette-like spots, rounded ears and a relatively long tail.
The discovery began in 2016 when a local man found a kitten near a forest and took it home, initially believing it was a domestic cat. After keeping the animal for about a year, he eventually handed it over to the Senda Verde Wildlife Sanctuary.
Biologist and National Geographic Explorer Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz became interested in the unusual animal and initially believed it was a northern tiger cat, a species that had been described in the 18th century.
However, further research raised questions about its identity. Genetic analysis eventually confirmed that the Bolivian cat was distinct from other known tiger cats.
Researchers analysed DNA from 38 cats sampled across several South American countries, including museum specimens. Their findings showed that what scientists had previously regarded as tiger cats represented five genetically distinct species.
The study, published in the journal Current Biology, found that the tilcayo lineage diverged from other tiger cats approximately 1.4 million years ago.
Only two live tilcayo cats have so far been examined by researchers, while additional evidence has come from camera-trap records. A male is currently being kept at the Senda Verde Wildlife Sanctuary, while little is known about the species’ population size, behaviour and reproduction.
Researchers believe the discovery highlights how much remains unknown about wildlife in the Yungas, a region facing threats including deforestation, agriculture and mining.
Scientists have also identified a new subspecies of tiger cat in Peru as part of the same research.
The researchers said the discovery of Leopardus tilcayo more than 100 years after the last new wild cat species was formally described underscores the importance of continued biodiversity research and conservation efforts in South America’s threatened forest ecosystems.
