New Species of Wild Cat, Leopardus Tilcayo, Discovered in Bolivia

On September 18, 2026, scientists revealed the discovery of a new species of wild cat, the first such finding in over a century. This new species, named the Tilcayo tiger cat, was located in Bolivia’s mountainous Yungas region, near the capital city, La Paz. The feline was previously mistaken for a common house cat by locals, according to biologist and National Geographic explorer Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz, part of the research team studying these animals.

The locals’ nickname for the cat, “tilcayo,” inspired its scientific name, Leopardus tilcayo. A photo of a Leopardus tilcayo at the Senda Verde animal refuge in Bolivia provides a glimpse of this animal’s distinctive spotted coat, resembling that of a leopard.

Nogales-Ascarrunz praised the finding as an exceptional event, as no wild cat species had been described after the discovery of the Uruguayan pampas cat in 1923. The newly identified tilcayo is slightly smaller than a domestic cat, with rounded ears and a length of about 18 inches. Two of these animals have been subjected to whole genome sequencing, a thorough genetic testing process.

One male tilcayo currently resides at an animal refuge in Yungas after a family originally took him in. Another female cat, once attacked by locals, was rescued and released back into the wild. The findings of this research were published in the journal Current Biology, marking the end of research efforts that began in 2021.

To date, the Leopardus tilcayo has been identified only in Bolivia. Nogales-Ascarrunz noted that while these creatures are classified as vulnerable to extinction, their limited numbers may soon elevate them to a higher risk category.