09/17/2026
Breaking news! Scientists have described the first new wild cat species in over a century: Leopardus tilcayo (the Tilcayo cat). 🐾
Found in Bolivia’s Yungas cloud forest by an international research team — including Paola Nogales Ascarrunz — this elusive, 3-pound feline is smaller than the average domestic cat.
Long thought to belong to a single widespread species, DNA analysis revealed five distinct wild cats — including L. tilcayo, defined by its slender frame, muted fur and extra-large spot markings. "We chose to name the species 'Tilcayo' — the name local communities use to describe the cat," shares Nogales Ascarrunz. "It’s our way of honoring their ancestral knowledge and connection to this animal."
Scientists are now deploying camera traps across the cloud forest to find L. tilcayo in the wild and build targeted conservation plans to protect them from habitat loss. “Describing a new cat species after more than 100 years shows how much we still have to learn about the biodiversity around us. But it also reminds us that we need to protect the Yungas forests, which are home to so many species — including some we are only beginning to understand.”
Photos by fellow Explorer Fernando Faciole
