Scientists have identified a previously unknown wild cat species in Bolivia’s cloud forest, marking the first new living feline species to be formally described in more than 100 years. Known locally as tilcayo, the small cat inhabits the Yungas forest, a mountainous region characterized by dense, cloud-covered trees.

The newly classified species, given the scientific name Leopardus tilcayo, belongs to a broader group known as tiger cats, found throughout much of South America. Researchers distinguished tilcayo from other tiger cats through genetic analysis, revealing that it diverged from related species approximately 1.4 million years ago.

The discovery emerged after the team, led by scientists including Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz and Jonas Lescroart, studied two live individuals and reviewed a small number of camera-trap records. One of the cats examined was a 10-year-old male currently residing at the Senda Verde wildlife sanctuary in Bolivia, having been previously kept by a local family.

Nogales-Ascarrunz described the cat’s appearance as having light brown fur with irregular rosettes scattered across its body. Despite the limited observations, researchers analyzed scat samples containing remains of small rodents, suggesting such prey may be part of the animal’s diet.

Tiger cats were traditionally treated as a single species across the continent, primarily based on Brazilian populations. However, advances in genetic studies have prompted a re-examination, with the current research identifying five genetically distinct tiger cat species, including Leopardus tilcayo.

The team’s findings, published in the journal Current Biology, highlight the challenges of differentiating tiger cat species based solely on physical characteristics. Lescroart emphasized the unexpected nature of the discovery, noting that no previous studies had suggested the Bolivian population represented a distinct species or subspecies.

The researchers have submitted their data to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for further evaluation, which may lead to conservation status assessments to determine whether some of the tiger cat species qualify as endangered.

Eduardo Eizirik, a senior author of the study and evolutionary biologist at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, underscored the broader significance of the discovery. He pointed out that numerous species remain undiscovered worldwide, many of which face the risk of extinction before they can be scientifically documented.