Researchers have identified Leopardus tilcayo, a new wild cat species inhabiting Bolivia’s Yungas cloud forests. Discovered accidentally when a rescue sanctuary received a stray kitten, the feline marks the first newly named living cat species in over a century.
For decades, small spotted cats roaming the forests of South America were grouped under a single, well-known umbrella: the tiger cat, or oncilla. But an extensive genomic analysis published in Current Biology has shattered that taxonomic simplicity. An international team of scientists examined the complete genomes of 38 cats in the genus Leopardus, including 26 tiger cats, revealing that the group is actually a complex of five distinct species.
Among those branches sits a complete surprise to science: Leopardus tilcayo. Measuring roughly 46 centimeters long and weighing around 1.4 kilograms, the tilcayo is smaller than an average housecat, distinguished by light-brown fur and irregularly shaped rosettes across its body. It is the first living cat species to be discovered and newly named in more than 100 years.
How a Sanctuary Cat Sparked a Century-First Discovery
The path to naming a new feline began in 2016 when Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz, a Bolivian biologist and National Geographic Explorer, received a call from a local wildlife sanctuary. A resident had found a tiny animal on a road near a forest, mistaking it for a domestic kitten. After feeding it noodles, rice, and eggs for about a year, the owner realized the animal’s wild behavior made it unsuitable for home life and surrendered it to the Senda Verde animal refuge in the Yungas region.
When Nogales-Ascarrunz visited the refuge to inspect the animal—a 10-year-old male nicknamed Tigrino
—she was immediately struck by its appearance. I took a hundred pictures of it,
she remembers. I was so fascinated.
At first, researchers assumed the cat belonged to the previously established species Leopardus tigrinus. But by 2019, while preparing an educational booklet on Bolivia’s cat species, Nogales-Ascarrunz noticed her photographs did not match reference images from neighboring Brazil. The rosettes were significantly larger. This is so wrong,
she thought.
Collaborating with Eduardo Eizirik and study co-lead author Jonas Lescroart from the University of Antwerp, Nogales-Ascarrunz utilized DNA from living animals and museum specimens to trace the cat’s lineage. The genetic data revealed that the tilcayo had separated from other tiger cat lines approximately 1.4 million years ago.
Redrawing the Cat Family Tree Through Genetics
The milestone study goes beyond naming a single animal. It restructures how scientists understand small Neotropical felines. In 2013, genetic evidence split Leopardus tigrinus into two species: L. tigrinus in the north and L. guttulus in the south. A subsequent 2024 study proposed separating Andean tiger cats into Leopardus pardinoides.
The latest research cements those distinctions while introducing the tilcayo and recognizing Leopardus emiliae as a valid separate species.
| Tiger Cat Lineage | Primary Region | Taxonomic Status |
|---|---|---|
| Leopardus tilcayo | Bolivian Yungas | Newly discovered species |
| Leopardus tigrinus | Northern South America | Established species |
| Leopardus guttulus | Southern South America | Established species |
| Leopardus pardinoides | Andean mountains | Validated species |
| Leopardus emiliae | Regional | Validated species |
Researchers chose the specific species name Leopardus tilcayo to honor traditional knowledge held by local communities.
Conservation Stakes in the Bolivian Cloud Forests
Despite the excitement surrounding the discovery, scientists know very little about the day-to-day habits of the tilcayo. However, basic questions regarding their reproduction, diet breadth, and total population numbers remain entirely unanswered.
The discovery arrives amid mounting ecological pressures on the Yungas ecosystem. Nogales-Ascarrunz highlighted that the region faces severe threats from deforestation, agricultural expansion, human-caused fires, and mining operations.
Conservationists hope that breaking down the genus into precise species units will unlock targeted protections, preventing newly recognized biodiversity from vanishing before its full scope is understood.