First New Wild Cat Species in a Century Found in Bolivia
- Researchers published a study on Thursday in Current Biology identifying Leopardus tilcayo as a new tiger cat species, marking the first novel feline discovered in over 100 years.
- Biologist Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz, a National Geographic Explorer, began investigating the 'weird cat' after receiving a 2016 call from a Bolivian wildlife sanctuary; the animal had been mistaken for a domestic kitten.
- Genomic comparisons revealed L. tilcayo diverged from other lineages around 1.4 million years ago and inhabits Bolivia's Yungas cloud forest, weighing just 3 to 4 pounds and smaller than a house cat.
- Evolutionary biologist Jonas Lescroart from the University of Antwerp said the discovery "is definitely expected to increase conservation attention," with researchers calling for re-evaluation of species previously grouped under a single label.
- Future research will install camera traps in Bolivia's Yungas region to track L. tilcayo populations while preserving traditional knowledge; local communities have recognized the cat as 'tilcayo' for generations.
634 Articles
634 Articles
A new cat species, the Tilacayo, has been identified in the Yungas forest of Bolivia. It is the first new living cat species in over a century. It is smaller than a domestic cat and has light brown rosettes.
Meet Bolivia’s newest wild cat species, the first named in over a century - The Tribune
A previously unknown cat species has been identified in plain sight: at a wildlife sanctuary in Bolivia, where the small, spotted feline had been living for years. The discovery, reported Thursday in the journal Current Biology, marks the first time scientists have named and described a new living wild cat species in more than a […]
New Cat Species Discovered: The Tilcayo
What do we have here? NY Times: A three-pound wildcat with leopardlike spots from Bolivia who once lived briefly as a house pet isn’t just adorable. He is also, scientists say, the standard-bearer for the first new feline species discovered in a century. The cat himself is named Tigrino, and his species is called tilcayo. The biologist Paola Nogales Ascarrunz first met Tigrino nearly a decade ago at the Senda Verde Wildlife Sanctuary in Bolivia.…
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