'A single' small and precious 'new species' of wild cat…first discovery in 103 years [This Happened] - NOCUTNEWS

A new small wild cat from Bolivia, named Leopardus tilcayo or “Tilcayo,” has been identified as a distinct species—the first new South American felid in 103 years—based on genetic data and observations of a cat in a Bolivian rescue shelter. Scientists caution that only one confirmed individual is known so far, but believe other individuals likely exist, highlighting the species’ conservation importance and the need for further research.

'A single' small and precious 'new species' of wild cat…first discovery in 103 years [This Happened] - NOCUTNEWS # 'A single' small and precious 'new species' of wild cat…first discovery in 103 years [This Happened] Youngjoo Choi▪ 2026.09.19 6:00 AM Screenshot of the paper by Professor Eduardo Eizirik of the School of Life and Health Sciences at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS) in Brazil, published in the international journal Current Biology A new species of cat has been discovered in Bolivia for the first time in 103 years. The international research team led by Professor Eduardo Eizirik of the School of Life and Health Sciences at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS) in Brazil announced on the 17th (local time) via the international journal Current Biology that a very small wild cat, about 46 cm in body length and weighing about 1.4 kg, had been found in the Yungas forest of Bolivia. This is the first confirmation of a new felid species in 103 years, since the pampas cat in 1923. This cat, called “Tilcayo” by local residents, belongs to the tiger cat group that inhabits South America and has a smaller body than an ordinary domestic cat. Because it has rosette-shaped leopard-like spots, it had been confused with other wild cats and so had gone unnoticed until now. Bolivian-born Dr. Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz, a member of the research team, noticed while volunteering at a shelter that this 10-year-old cat, nicknamed “Tigrino,” was different from ordinary cats. The researchers therefore used genetic data to confirm…

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