Scientists have discovered a new species of wild cat for the first time in 100 years

Scientists have confirmed that a new species of wild cat, Leopardus tilcayo, lives in Bolivia. This is the first time in more than a century that scientists have discovered a new species of feline, rather than reclassifying an already known species or subspecies.

The corresponding study was published in the journal Current Biology, National Geographic reports.

The cat was first found in 2016. A local man picked it up as a kitten near a forest and initially adopted it as a pet. He later realized that the animal was wild and gave it to the Senda Verde shelter in the Bolivian Andes.

Biologist Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz, who came to examine the animal, drew attention to its unusual appearance: a small muzzle, short rounded ears, long whiskers, and large spots similar to those of a leopard.

Initially, the scientist believed that this was a representative of an already known species of tiger cats. But in 2019, she noticed that the animal was significantly different from other representatives of this species.

Subsequently, a genetic analysis of 38 individuals of the genus Leopardus confirmed that this is a separate evolutionary line. It separated from other tiger cats approximately 1.4 million years ago.

Tilcayo weighs about 1.4 kg and is about 46 cm long — it is smaller than a typical domestic cat. So far, scientists know almost nothing about its life in the wild: it is not known how many such animals exist, what they eat and how they reproduce.

It is only known that the species lives in the Yungas forests on the eastern slopes of the Andes.

The discovery also changes scientistsʼ understanding of tiger cats. Previously thought to be a single species, genetic studies now suggest that there are at least five distinct species. The researchers suggest that similar genetic studies could help find other previously unknown species of small wild cats.

The new species was proposed to be named Leopardus tilcayo — this is how the locals have long called this cat.

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