There’s a new cat in town.
Researchers discover in Bolivia the first new cat species in over a century. And the story of how they found it is as cute as the cat itself.
The coolest new cat on the block.
Scientists discover thousands of new plant and insect species every year. But as a general rule, the bigger you get, the rarer it is to find something new.
New species of mice and birds have been described this year. But a new cat?
The last time scientists formally named a new living cat species was in 1923, with the Uruguayan Pampas cat, Leopardus fasciatus.
“Sometimes we think that most of it is known, that there’s not a whole lot to discover, but in fact, it’s the other way around.” — Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz, study co-author.
Well, thanks to the discovery of Leopardus tilcayo in Bolivia, 103 years later we can finally say: sorry, Fasci, you’re no longer the coolest new cat on the block.
Hi-ho, Tilcayo!
The first thing to notice about Leopardus tilcayo is it’s not a leopard.
Leopardus is a group of small South American cats. Think smaller cousins of the ocelot, if you will.
Clocking in at 46 or so centimetres and 1.4 kilos, Tilcayo is comparable in size to a small house cat. And while it’s not a leopard, its light-brown fur, covered in irregular dark rosettes, does bear a resemblance to the markings we associate with the big cat.
Being the first of its type we’ve ever formally described, you’ll understand population details are still a bit sketchy.
But to the best of our knowledge, Leopardus tilcayo likes hanging out in the humid cloud forests of Bolivia’s Yungas, to the east of the Andes … hey, who wouldn’t?
A good guess at population numbers, or the exact geographic spread of the patch it calls home, will have to wait for some more research.
Where did this cat come from?
As I promised, the story of Tilcayo’s discovery is just as cute as the little feline critter itself.
You see, locals had known these cute little cats long before scientists showed up on the scene.
One of them, a cat called Tigrino, was taken in as a pet by a local family. But it turns out Tigrino was a bit of a wild one.
Too wild for the family, who had to donate him to a local sanctuary.
And that’s where he caught the attention of Bolivian biologist Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz. Her curious scientific eye noticed there was just something a little bit different about Tigrino.
Genetic analysis eventually revealed, wow, this wasn’t just an unusual-looking cat.
It was a new species altogether.
What did the DNA tell us?
The DNA of Leopardus tilcayo was sufficiently different from that of other Leopardus species to show it belonged to its own distinct lineage.
Experts estimate that lineage branched off around 1.4 million years ago.
“We never expected this Bolivian tiger cat to be a separate species, and no one had ever proposed it as a different animal, subspecies or otherwise.” — Jonas Lescroart, study co-lead author.
Pair that genetic evidence with consistent physical differences, and you’ve got a strong case for recognising a new species. The study analysed complete genomes from 38 Leopardus individuals and concluded that the tiger-cat complex actually comprises five distinct species.
Give me a home among the Andes.
This story is beautiful in and of itself. But with any luck, it could have a nice ripple effect.
“Tigrino has become, in just a few days, an ambassador for conservation.” — Marcelo Levy, Senda Verde Wildlife Sanctuary co-founder.
It turns out Tilcayo’s home turf in Bolivia’s Yungas is one of the region’s most threatened ecosystems, under growing pressure from deforestation, agricultural expansion, human-caused fires and mining.
Perhaps this coolest new cat on the block can be another string in the bow of local conservationists.
Way to go, Tilcayo.
Further reading:
Jonas Lescroart, Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz, Molly Cassatt-Johnstone et al. (2026). “Phylogenomics and museomics reveal five distinct species of tiger cats in South America.” Current Biology, published online 17 September 2026. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2026.08.059. PubMed record and paper details
Marta Serafinko (2026). “New cat species identified in Bolivia, first in over a century.” Reuters, 17 September 2026, updated 18 September 2026. Read the Reuters article
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