New Wild Cat Species Discovered in Bolivia After Century

Scientists have identified a new species of wild cat in Bolivia's Yungas cloud forests, marking the first discovery of a new living cat species in more than a century. The small, spotted feline, named Leopardus tilcayo, was formally described in a study published in the journal Current Biology on September 17, 2026. The discovery was made by an international team of researchers who conducted a comprehensive genetic analysis of tiger cats, a group of small wild cats native to South America. The study, which sequenced the genomes of 38 cats, revealed that what was previously considered a single species of tiger cat actually comprises five distinct species. The tilcayo is one of these newly validated species. The cat was first noticed by biologist Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz, who volunteers at the Senda Verde Wildlife Sanctuary near La Paz. A local man had brought the animal to the sanctuary after finding it as a kitten near a forest, initially believing it to be a domestic cat. Nogales-Ascarrunz observed that its physical characteristics did not match any known tiger cat species, prompting further investigation.