09/20/2026
Imagine scooping up a stray kitten, raising it in your own home, and then later discovering it’s actually a feral jungle cat. That’s what happened to one Bolivian man, who decided the pet he’d been feeding rice, noodles, and eggs was probably better cared for by a wildlife refuge. Remarkably, after he brought it in, biologist Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz discovered it wasn’t just a wild cat but an entirely novel species—the first new cat species found in over a century.
Dubbed Leopardus tilcayo, the feline is smaller than a house cat (around 17 to 20 inches, not counting its roughly 10-inch tail), and lives in the Bolivian Yungas, a cloud forest at the foot of the Andes mountains. According to Nogales-Ascarrunz and her fellow researchers, who published a paper describing the species, its distinct irregular spots were the first signal it might be a new species. L. Tilcayo has distinctive light brown fur with irregularly shaped rosettes across its body.
Researchers used genetic data to 37 other tropical cats from the genus to confirm the find. While also identifying four other species within the genus to confirm the cat as a new species, with studies suggesting it diverged from its closest tiger cat relative around 1.4 million years ago.
L. Tilcayo is considered vulnerable to extinction, with limited information available on its biology and lifestyle. Researchers found remains of small rodents in s**t samples, suggesting they may form part of its diet, and camera-trap evidence indicates it could be more active at night. Conservation efforts are necessary to protect this newly identified species.
To learn more about the tilcayo’s conservation status and how to support protection efforts, consider visiting the National Geographic website or the Current Biology journal for more information.
