Meow! A wild cat the world had not yet recognised
Its name is Leopardus tilcayo. It lives in Bolivia’s forests and has been described as a new species thanks to DNA research.
We thought we knew all the world’s cats. Think again. On 17 September 2026, the scientific journal Current Biology published the description of a previously unclassified species: Leopardus tilcayo, a small wild cat of the Yungas, the cloud forests on the slopes of the Bolivian Andes. It is roughly the size of the cat sleeping on your sofa.
A story that began with an “unusual” cat
The best part is how it was discovered. More than ten years ago, a local man found a cat near the forest that did not look quite like the others. He kept it for a year, then took it to the Senda Verde wildlife refuge. Biologist Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz saw it there. At first, she thought it belonged to a known species, Leopardus tigrinus. But something did not fit: after three years of observation, she became convinced it did not match any recognised species.
She was right. Working with Eduardo Eizirik of the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul and Jonas Lescroart of the University of Antwerp, she analysed DNA from 38 Leopardus specimens from several South American countries and museum collections. Two animals from Bolivia’s forests were genetically distinct from the others. The researchers estimate that their lineage diverged around 1.4 million years ago, remaining isolated long enough to become a separate species.
A name that was already there
“Tilcayo” is not a name invented by scientists: it is the name local communities have long used for this animal. People there knew it; the wider world did not. Very little is known about its behaviour. It is elusive, probably mostly nocturnal, and feeds on small rodents.
Why this is good news
The researchers hope the discovery will draw attention to forests threatened by clearing and fires, and believe new genetic tools may reveal further species of small cats. There is a simpler lesson, too: wonder has not run out. Creation still holds hidden surprises, and sometimes a watchful person and a little patience are enough to uncover one.
