Scientists formally describe a previously unknown wild cat species from Bolivia’s Yungas cloud forests. The animal, called “tilcayo” by local communities, is identified as Leopardus tilcayo, a small spotted “tiger cat” relative, and is described as the first new living cat species named and formally documented in more than a century.
Multiple outlets report that researchers use genetic evidence to confirm the cat’s distinct evolutionary identity and to clarify that earlier records likely misidentified it as another species. Several describe it as having a leopard-like spotted coat and being adapted to the mountainous, humid Yungas environment near La Paz. One outlet also notes that researchers had known the type of tiger cat existed in the region but had not previously published a formal species description.
Coverage differs mainly in emphasis: some focus on the timeline significance of the discovery, while others highlight remaining uncertainties about the cat’s habits and biology. The Hindu reports preliminary diet and activity clues drawn from scat and camera traps, while other accounts concentrate on how the cat was recognized by locals but not scientifically described until now.
