First new wild cat species in a century

Scientists have identified a new species of wild cat in Bolivia, the first new living cat species to be formally described since 1923.

The cat, named the tilcayo, was identified through a genetic study of small spotted cats known as tiger cats, published in September. The discovery was announced on 17 September.

A cat hiding in plain sight

The tilcayo lives in the cloud forests of the Yungas in Bolivia. It looks very similar to other tiger cats, such as the oncilla, which is why it had not been recognised as a separate species before.

Local communities already knew the cat by the name tilcayo, and scientists have adopted it for the species, whose scientific name is Leopardus tilcayo.

How it was found

The Bolivian biologist Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz first encountered the cat in 2017, when a wildlife sanctuary asked her to look at an animal that had been brought in. It had been living with a man in La Paz who had found it as a kitten and thought it was a domestic cat.

She photographed it and, a couple of years later, while preparing a booklet on Bolivian cats, realised that it looked different from other tiger cats. Genetic analysis has now confirmed that it is a distinct species.

Why it matters

New species of mammals are still being discovered, but new species of cats are extremely rare. The last new living cat species to be formally described was the Pampas cat in 1923.

The discovery shows how much remains to be learned about the natural world, even among well-studied groups of animals, and how genetic tools are revealing hidden diversity.

Conservation

Little is known about the tilcayo's numbers or behaviour. Cloud forests in South America are under pressure from farming, roads and climate change, and scientists say the new species may need protection.

Identifying it as a separate species is the first step towards understanding what it needs to survive.

A family of hunters

The cat family includes around 40 living species, from lions and tigers to small cats such as the wildcat, which still survives in the Scottish Highlands.

Scientists hope further research will reveal more about how the tilcayo lives and how many remain in the wild.