A small wild cat living in Bolivia’s cloud‑covered Yungas forest has been formally described as a new species, the first new feline to be named in more than a century. The animal, locally known as the tilcayo, belongs to the tiger‑cat group that ranges across much of South America.
The tilcayo measures about 18 inches (46 cm) long and weighs roughly 3 pounds (1.4 kg), making it smaller than an average domestic cat. Its fur is light brown with irregular rosettes, and scat samples indicate a diet that includes small rodents. Camera‑trap footage suggests it is primarily nocturnal. One 10‑year‑old male is now housed in the Senda Verde wildlife sanctuary after having been kept by a local family.
Researchers analysed DNA from 38 tiger cats collected across several South American countries, including eight museum specimens. The study identified five genetically distinct species within the group, with the tilcayo lineage diverging from its relatives about 1.4 million years ago. The same work also described a new subspecies in Peru’s Yungas, named Leopardus tigrinus antisuyo after the historic Inca region of Antisuyu.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature currently lists tiger cats as two vulnerable species with declining populations. The new findings will be shared with the IUCN, which will review the five lineages separately. This could reveal that species such as the tilcayo are at greater risk, especially in the Yungas where deforestation, agricultural expansion, fires, and mining threaten the forest habitat. Conservation measures such as restoring fire‑damaged patches, protecting remaining native forest, and maintaining habitat connectivity are urgent priorities. The discovery underscores that even well‑known groups like cats still hold undiscovered species that may vanish before they are formally recognized.
