Meet the Tilcayo: The First New Cat Species Discovered in Over 100 Years
Local communities already knew this small, spotted feline. Now, genetic research has confirmed it belongs to a species previously unrecognized by science.
KANDOLA WILDLIFE
Photo by Fernando Faciole / National Geographic
Along the eastern slopes of the Andes, Bolivia’s Yungas form a lush, mountainous transition between the Andean highlands and Amazonian forests. These humid forests are often covered in cloud and mist, with orchids and bromeliads growing along tree branches. They provide habitat for spectacled bears, jaguars and a remarkable variety of birds, including the black-throated thistletail, a species found only in Bolivia.
Among the region’s inhabitants is a wild cat smaller than the average domestic cat, with a spotted coat reminiscent of a leopard. Known locally as the tilcayo, it has now been given the scientific name Leopardus tilcayo.
The discovery was published in Current Biology on September 17, 2026. The tilcayo belongs to a group of small South American wild felines known as tiger cats.
These small cats weigh around 1.5–2 kilograms (3–4 pounds), with bodies reaching approximately 50 centimetres (20 inches) long. Their tails add another 25 centimetres (10 inches).
An unexpected discovery
In 2016, Bolivian biologist and National Geographic Explorer Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz received a call from Senda Verde wildlife sanctuary about an unusual cat. A local man had found it as a kitten on a road near a forest and taken it home, believing it was domestic. After about a year, it became clear that the animal was wild, and he brought it to the sanctuary.
That cat was Tigrino, the first of his species known to science. According to the sanctuary, he is now 10 years old and remains in its care.
Intrigued, Nogales-Ascarrunz visited the sanctuary, where she photographed Tigrino’s small face, rounded ears, long whiskers and leopard-like spots.
Genetic analysis later confirmed that Tigrino belonged to a distinct species. Researchers estimate that the tilcayo diverged from its closest tiger cat relative around 1.4 million years ago. Their wider study supported the recognition of five distinct tiger cat species in South America, including the tilcayo.
The discovery changes our understanding of the cat family tree. Similar DNA research could help identify other wild cat species that scientists have not yet recognized.
What does “the first in over 100 years” mean?
Scientists have recognized other cat species in recent years, but those cases involved reclassifying cats that already had scientific names. The tilcayo is the first living cat species to be newly described and named in more than a century.
Local communities already knew the animal as tilcayo, a name the researchers retained. The discovery marks its recognition as a distinct species, rather than the first time people encountered it.
A species we are still getting to know
Photo by Fernando Faciole / National Geographic
Much about the tilcayo remains uncertain. Scientists still need to establish its population size, map its range and learn more about its behaviour and diet. This research will help determine what protection it needs.
The Yungas already face pressure from forest clearance and agricultural expansion. Protecting these forests matters for the tilcayo and the many other species that share its habitat.
The tilcayo’s scientific recognition reminds us how much we still have to learn about the animal kingdom, and how much is worth protecting.
Follow the forests’ future
Explore conservation efforts in Bolivia through the Andes Amazon Fund and subscribe to its updates on conservation projects and environmental news across the wider Andes–Amazon region.
Share the tilcayo’s story to help bring attention to this little-known wild cat and the forests it depends on.
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