Scientists have identified a new wild cat species in Bolivia’s Yungas region, marking the first discovery of its kind in over a century. Named Leopardus tilcayo, the spotted feline measures about 45 centimeters and weighs 1.4 kilograms, with researchers confirming its distinct genetic lineage through genome sequencing published in September 2026.
For the first time in more than a century, researchers have formally described a brand-new species of wild cat. The tiny, spotted feline was discovered in the mountainous Los Yungas forest ecoregion, situated roughly 90 kilometers northeast of the Bolivian capital of La Paz according to reports from international news agencies.
The Accidental Discovery in the Yungas Forests
Local residents in the Yungas region had known about the small, spotted animal for decades, referring to it by the local name tilcayo
. To everyday observers who occasionally crossed paths with the creature, it was frequently mistaken for an ordinary domestic cat owing to its modest stature.
The scientific path to identifying the animal began years prior when a local wildlife sanctuary admitted a weird cat
handed over by a family who had adopted the male specimen by mistake after noticing its unusual behavior. A second individual, a female, was later rescued following an altercation in a village and subsequently returned to the wild according to field researchers.
Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz, National Geographic explorer and biologist, recounted that in 2016 she was contacted by a wildlife sanctuary that had just taken in a strange cat.
Genetic Sequencing and the Leopardus Tree
When biologist Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz initially inspected the captive male specimen, she photographed it extensively, initially believing it to be an oncille or Leopardus tigrinus
as detailed in environmental reports. However, while compiling data for a regional brochure in 2019, she noticed the markings and tail shape failed to align with any known wild cat species cataloged in Bolivia.
To solve the mystery, researchers initiated comprehensive genomic tests by sequencing the DNA of the sanctuary male alongside 37 other tiger cats from across South America.
Data confirmed that tiger cats actually comprise five distinct genetic species. The lineage belonging to the newly minted Leopardus tilcayo diverged from its relatives approximately 1.4 million years ago, establishing an evolutionary gap sufficient to designate a standalone species.
Conservation Status and What Remains Unknown
The formal description was published in the journal Current Biology, ending a century-long drought in new wild cat species discovery that began after the identification of the Uruguayan pampas cat in 1923 .
Weighing only 1.4 kilograms and spanning roughly 45 centimeters from head to tail, the animal remains exceptionally rare. Field experts emphasize that fundamental details regarding its daily habits, diet, predators, and reproductive cycle remain entirely unmapped by science.
Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz, biologist and researcher, noted that up to now, it has only been detected in Bolivia.
Researchers have submitted their genetic data to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to assess the animal’s formal risk level while conservation teams warn that the newly recognized cat faces ongoing population pressures across its high-altitude forest home.
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