Scientists announce discovery of a new wild cat species in Bolivia's cloud forests
Researchers have formally described Leopardus tilcayo, a previously unknown tiger cat from the Bolivian Yungas, marking the first new wild cat identified in a century.
A team of biologists has officially named Leopardus tilcayo, a new tiger cat species discovered in Bolivia's Yungas cloud forest, the first such find in a hundred years. The description appeared in the journal Current Biology, citing genetic data that separates the cat from its relatives by roughly 1.4 million years. Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz, who runs the Programa de Investigación de Félidos Bolivia, first encountered the animal at the Senda Verde Wildlife Sanctuary after a local man mistakenly brought it in as a kitten.
Further testing of two specimens confirmed they belong to a distinct lineage. The species lives in a rapidly disappearing habitat at the junction of the Andes and the Amazon, and researchers warn that all five South American tiger cat species are endangered by ongoing development. The discovery underscores the need for intensified conservation efforts and scientific study in the region.
Why it matters
A new mammal species highlights biodiversity loss and the urgency of protecting threatened cloud-forest habitats.
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