We have already written about the new species of cat. Now more details are known, so let us once again admire the new species, the first in more than a century.
Scientists only recently officially described it as a separate species — Leopardus tilcayo. This is the first discovery of a new species of living cat in more than a hundred years, and it came about not through targeted expeditions, but almost by accident.
The tilcayo is quite small: about 46 centimetres in length and roughly 1,4 kilograms in weight. That is, it is even smaller than an average domestic cat. At the same time, genetically its lineage split from its closest relatives about 1,4 million years ago.
The researchers analysed the genomes of 38 cats, including 26 representatives of the genus Leopardus. According to the work published in Current Biology, the tilcayo split from its closest relatives roughly 1,4 million years ago. The animal is smaller than a domestic cat, but is covered in spots resembling those of a leopard. The five species of tiger cats of South America are now recognised as separate.
Size and appearance
- Body length (head + torso): 42,5–50,5 cm
- Tail length: 25–26,5 cm
- Weight: about 1,3–1,4 kg (less than an ordinary domestic cat)
- Colouration: light-brown background, large irregular dark-brown or black rosettes (open or half-closed). The ears are short and rounded ("like a teddy bear's"), the muzzle is small, the whiskers are long.
The story of the particular specimen
The main (holotype) specimen is a male named Tigrino. It was found as a kitten around 2016–2017 years old by a local resident, who mistook it for a domestic kitten and kept it at home for about a year. When the animal began to display wild instincts (including hunting chickens), it was handed over to the Senda Verde Wildlife Sanctuary in the Yungas region. The cat is now about 10 years old, and it still lives there. It was precisely its DNA that proved key to describing the species.
Only very few individuals are known: this male in captivity, possibly one more living specimen, and several camera-trap records.
- It split from its closest relatives (Leopardus tigrinus / pardinoides) approximately 1,4 million years ago (the early Pleistocene).
- The study was published on 17 September 2026 in the journal Current Biology.
- The scientists analysed the genomes of 38 cats of the genus Leopardus (including modern and museum specimens from various countries of South America).
- As a result, the "tiger cat" complex was divided into five separate species (previously fewer were recognised).
- In addition, a new subspecies has been described from the Peruvian Yungas — Leopardus tigrinus antisuyo.
Range and status
So far it has been confirmed only in the cloud forests of the Yungas on the eastern slopes of the Andes in the La Paz Department (Nor Yungas Province, near the village of Arapata, at an elevation of approximately 1570 m). This is a transitional zone between the Andes and Amazonia, with high humidity and steep terrain.
Its population size, exact range, behaviour, diet and reproductive characteristics are practically unknown. The authors emphasise that the discovery should stimulate protection of these forests, because the ecosystem is already under threat.
On the whole, science still knows very little about Tilcayo — which is precisely why its description has become such a notable event.
The discovery highlights how little we know about biodiversity even in relatively well-studied groups of mammals. The Yungas cloud forests are a unique ecosystem where different climatic zones meet and where species survive that are found nowhere else. Protecting these forests is becoming especially important, since they are home to animals whose existence science is only now learning about.
The population size of the new cat remains unknown for now. The authors of the study note that the description of the species should serve as an impetus for strengthening conservation measures for all the tiger cats of the region. Without precise data on the population, it is difficult to assess the degree of threat, but one thing is already clear: preserving habitats is the key factor.
As the story of Tilcayo shows, nature continues to spring surprises even in the era of satellites and genetic analysis. Every new species reminds us that ecosystems are not static lists but living, interconnected communities, where the loss of one element can affect the entire chain.
The discovery of Leopardus tilcayo forces us to take a new look at the value of Bolivia's cloud forests and at the need to treat them with care.
