GoKawiilBolivian researchers identify new wild cat species, Leopardus tilcayo
Scientists studying a small spotted cat first photographed in Bolivia nearly a decade ago by National Geographic Explorer Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz have confirmed it as a genetically distinct species, not a variant of the previously known tigrina. The findings, published in Current Biology, name the animal Leopardus tilcayo, marking the first entirely new felid species identified in over a century.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
Most modern feline discoveries involve reclassifying existing subspecies rather than finding a wholly unrecognized one, so this result is unusually rare in mammalian taxonomy. It underscores how much biodiversity in South America's forests remains undocumented and highlights the growing role of genetic analysis in resolving longstanding confusion between visually similar wild cat populations.
- Leopardus tilcayo is the first genuinely new cat species described in over 100 years.
- The species was distinguished from the tigrina (Leopardus tigrinus) through genetic analysis, not just visual differences.
- The discovery began with field photography in Bolivia and took nearly a decade to confirm scientifically.
Source: nationalgeographic.com, 2026-09-17
Published there as: “The first new cat species discovered in 100 years”
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