First new cat in over a century

Scientists have discovered a new wild cat species in Bolivia for the first time in more than a century, biologist Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz told AFP on Thursday.

Meet the Tilcayo tiger cat

The Tilcayo tiger cat is a small feline with a spotted, leopard-like coat found in the mountainous Yungas region near La Paz. Locals mistook it for an ordinary house cat.

Named after local nickname

The nickname tilcayo given to the animal by locals inspired its scientific name, Leopardus tilcayo. It is the first feline discovered since the Uruguayan pampas cat in nineteen twenty-three.

A remarkable event, Nogales-Ascarrunz says

Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz, the National Geographic explorer who led the research, called the discovery a remarkable event because a new wild cat species has not been described in one hundred years.

“a remarkable event, because a new wild cat species hasn't been described in 100 years”

Small cat with distinctive features

The tilcayo is slightly smaller than a domestic cat, measuring around eighteen inches, with rounded ears. A pair of tilcayos have undergone whole genome sequencing for genetic testing.

Vulnerable and at risk of extinction

Research published Thursday in Current Biology shows the species is only detected in Bolivia. Nogales-Ascarrunz said the creatures are classified as vulnerable to extinction but could soon be considered at much greater risk of dying out.