New Bolivia wild cat is first feline species named in a century

Researchers have identified a new species of wild cat in Bolivia’s Yungas cloud forest, naming it Leopardus tilcayo after the local word for the animal. The study, published on Thursday in the journal Current Biology, reports the first new living feline species formally described in more than a century.

What does the tilcayo look like?

Leopardus tilcayo measures about 46cm (18in) long and weighs about 1.4kg (3lb), making it smaller than the average domestic cat. Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz, a National Geographic explorer and one of the study’s authors, said its fur is light brown, with irregularly shaped rosettes across its body.

How did researchers confirm it is a new species?

The team analysed DNA from 38 cats sampled across several South American countries, including eight museum specimens. Jonas Lescroart, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Antwerp in Belgium and a co-lead author of the study, said tiger cats are cryptic species that cannot easily be distinguished by appearance alone. “Our information at this moment is limited to the two live individuals that we examined, and a small number of camera-trap records,” Lescroart said.

Genetic analysis indicated that the tilcayo lineage separated from other tiger cats about 1.4 million years ago. One of the two live cats examined is a 10-year-old male that now lives at the Senda Verde wildlife sanctuary in Bolivia after being kept by a local family in their home.

What is known about the cat’s behaviour?

Little is yet known about the tilcayo’s biology and lifestyle. Remains of small rodents in scat samples suggest they may form part of its diet, while camera-trap evidence indicates it could be more active at night, according to Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz.

How many tiger cat species are there?

Tiger cats had previously been considered a single species, but the new study found they are in fact five genetically distinct species. “We never expected this Bolivian tiger cat to be a separate species, and no one had ever proposed it as a different animal, subspecies or otherwise,” Jonas Lescroart said.

The research team also described a new tiger cat subspecies in Peru’s Yungas region, naming it Leopardus tigrinus antisuyo after Antisuyu, the region of the old Inca empire that included the area it inhabits.

Is the tilcayo endangered?

The International Union for Conservation of Nature red list currently treats tiger cats as two “vulnerable” species with declining populations. The researchers have shared their findings with the IUCN, whose upcoming review will assess the five lineages separately, which could lead to the tilcayo being considered endangered on its own.

Why is the Yungas forest under pressure?

The Yungas is one of the region’s most threatened ecosystems. Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz said the mountain forests face growing pressure from deforestation, agricultural expansion, human-caused fires and mining, and that restoring forest patches damaged by fires, protecting remaining native forest and maintaining connections between habitats are urgent priorities.

Eduardo Eizirik, an evolutionary biologist at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil and senior author of the study, said the discovery carries a wider message: “There are many undiscovered species out there in the world, and they are at risk of disappearing before we even discover them.”

Frequently asked questions

What is the new cat species found in Bolivia?

It is Leopardus tilcayo, a wild cat about 46cm long and 1.4kg in weight found in Bolivia’s Yungas cloud forest. It is the first new living feline species formally described in more than a century.

How many tiger cat species are there?

The study found that tiger cats, previously treated as a single species, are in fact five genetically distinct species. The tilcayo lineage is estimated to have separated from other tiger cats about 1.4 million years ago.

Is Leopardus tilcayo endangered?

It has not yet been assessed on its own. The IUCN currently lists tiger cats as two vulnerable species, but an upcoming review will assess the five lineages separately, which could result in the tilcayo being considered endangered.

When was the study published?

The study describing Leopardus tilcayo was published in the journal Current Biology on Thursday 17 September 2026.

With reporting from The Guardian.

Stock image, not from the events described. Misty Morning — Johannes Plenio / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)