New Feline Species Discovered in Bolivian Forest

Scientists have identified a new species of wild cat, the Leopardus tilcayo, commonly known as the tilcayo cat, in Bolivia's Yungas cloud forest. This marks the first discovery of a new feline species by researchers in more than 100 years.

The small wild cat, weighing no more than three pounds and measuring approximately 18 inches long, is smaller than a typical house cat. It possesses a distinctive small, scrunched-up face, small round ears, and long whiskers.

For a year, a young tilcayo cat with leopard-like spots was kept as a pet by a local family before being brought to the Senda Verde Wildlife Sanctuary. The family recognized it as a wild animal, leading to its transfer to the sanctuary around 2017.

Paola Nogales Ascarrunz, a National Geographic Explorer and co-author of the study published in Current Biology, noted the animal's small size upon first encounter. Previously, cats with similar appearances were often misclassified as other species, such as oncillas or margays. The tilcayo cat's unique physical characteristics did not align with existing reference photos of known 'tiger cats.'

Advancements in genetic testing were crucial in identifying the new species. Nogales Ascarrunz and her team compared the genetic makeup of the sanctuary cat with other similar felines, including specimens housed in museums. This genetic analysis allowed them to distinguish the tilcayo cat as a separate species and identify another new subspecies within the 'tiger cat' group.

Scientists estimate that the tilcayo cat likely evolved from a common ancestor of other 'tiger cats' approximately 1.4 million years ago. The genetic studies have also contributed to a clearer understanding of the evolutionary relationships among these wild cats.

Little is known about the tilcayo cat's habitat range or behavior. The 10-year-old male at the sanctuary is the only known individual of its species in captivity. However, researchers believe other tilcayo cats may have been captured on camera traps deployed in the cloud forests.

The recent classification of the tilcayo cat as a distinct species raises concerns for its conservation and that of similar small felines. The splitting of the broader 'tiger cat' group into smaller species has led to some of these newly defined species being classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

"Currently, this ecosystem is threatened by deforestation, especially with wildfires. When they are not controlled ... they start destroying this ecosystem," Nogales Ascarrunz explained.

Nogales Ascarrunz expressed optimism that the global and local attention generated by the discovery could bolster conservation efforts. She noted a growing interest in smaller, more elusive felines, shifting focus from larger, more conventionally