NEW WILD CAT SPECIES IDENTIFIED IN BOLIVIA'S YUNGAS REGION

Researchers have identified a new species of wild cat in Bolivia, the first such discovery in more than a century, according to biologist Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz, a National Geographic explorer who took part in the study. The animal, named the tilcayo tiger cat, was found in the Yungas region near La Paz and has a spotted, leopard-like coat that led locals to mistake it for a domestic cat. Its scientific name, Leopardus tilcayo, derives from the local nickname "tilcayo". Nogales-Ascarrunz said the find was significant because no new wild cat species had been described since the Uruguayan pampas cat in 1923. The research was published in the journal Current Biology, concluding a study that began in 2021.

The tilcayo measures around 45 centimetres, slightly smaller than a domestic cat, and has rounded ears. Only two of the animals have been found so far, and both have undergone whole-genome sequencing, Nogales-Ascarrunz said. A male tilcayo is being kept at an animal shelter in the Yungas region after a family that had taken him in handed him over. A female was rescued after being attacked by local people and was later released back into the wild. Nogales-Ascarrunz said the species has so far only been detected in Bolivia and has not been recorded anywhere else.

Nogales-Ascarrunz said the tilcayo is currently classified as vulnerable to extinction. She said its very small known population means it could soon be reassessed as facing a greater risk of dying out. The discovery has been reported as part of wider research into tiger cat species across South America. No further fieldwork or conservation measures were confirmed in the material reviewed.