A New Cat Species Discovered in the Bolivian Yungas

For the first time in a century, scientists have identified a new wild cat species: the tilcayo tiger cat.

Known scientifically as leopardus tilcayo, this slender, spotted tiger cat is about the size of a kitten, which is a bit surprising since most might expect it to be larger. The population size? Still a mystery. South America is home to up to five species of tiger cats, and they are all facing serious threats due to habitat loss.

Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz, who heads a conservation initiative called the Programa de Investigación de Félidos Bolivia, described the find as something quite “novel.”

“This time, it’s a cat. That’s really novel. And it hasn’t happened in 100 years. No one else had named it. No one else had described it,” she said, which highlights just how significant this discovery really is.

“We honestly don’t know how many cats still roam the wild,” she noted, emphasizing the need for further research, which is crucial for the species’ survival.

When Nogales-Ascarrunz first laid eyes on the animal, she was taken aback by its size. In fact, it was brought to the wildlife rehab center by someone who thought it was just a regular domestic kitten.

“I saw this cat. It was really, really small, and I couldn’t believe how small it was,” she reflected. “I thought it was a kitten.”

As per insights from Scientific American, discovering a new mammal, especially of the feline variety, is quite rare. The publication remarked on how unusual it is to find a completely new species rather than just a variation of one that is already known.

“The study analyzed the genomes of 38 cats, including 26 Leopardus cats, marking the most comprehensive genetic study to date,” added co-lead author Jonas Lescroart, an evolutionary ecologist from the University of Antwerp in Belgium.

Nogales-Ascarrunz emphasized that this discovery underscores how much more there is to learn about our planet’s biodiversity.

“Identifying a new cat species after over a century highlights just how much we still don’t know about the variety of life surrounding us. It also serves as a reminder to protect the Yungas forests, which shelter countless species, including those we’re only beginning to understand,” she concluded.