The first genetically confirmed new cat species in 100 years has arrived.
, the first in over 100 years, and it’s amazingly adorable.
on Thursday, the spry little feline, who looks ready for a drink
and hails from the cloud forests of the Bolivian Yungas in South America. You may know Leopardus from other American cat species, like the ocelot and colocolo.
The discovery was made from a collaboration between scientist Jonas Lescroart and Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz, head of the
conservation program (among other researchers). They not only spotted this dashing little fellow, but they also made all-new discoveries about tiger cats, including a new subspecies.
is even smaller than the common house cat. Nogales-Ascarrunz, whose work is funded by National Geographic, first spotted the cat at a wildlife rehabilitation center in the area. At first, she thought it was just a kitten, but then she realized it could be a new find entirely. The cat’s spots and long tail didn’t match any recognized species in the area, so Nogales-Ascarrunz began genetic testing on cats brought in by locals.
When CNET reached out to the researchers, Jonas Lescroart told us there is currently only one captive tilcayo. “The tilcayo there cannot be returned to the wild, because it had been kept for some time by private persons, who thought they were dealing with a house cat,” Lescroart said. “So this individual would not be able to survive in the wild, and this refuge center is taking good care of it.”
If you’d like to support the refuge taking care of the little one, you can visit
, which gives you options to donate — and if you’re planning a trip to Bolivia, potentially volunteer.
Paola Nogles-Ascarrunz kept the cat’s original name from the natives who’ve known it the longest.
“This cat, they call it tilcayo. And when you ask, ‘Does it have some meaning in Quechua or [Aymara] and other Indigenous languages?’ they say, ‘No, my grandpa told me that’s the tilcayo,’”
. “This is a traditional knowledge that they have in the community. We want to preserve that knowledge, and we didn’t want to give it another name.”
The tilcayo is special because, while scientists redefine mammals into new species all the time, it’s usually because a single species has split into two and become different enough for reclassification. This cat, however, was entirely new and not the offshoot of a previously recognized species, something very rare and probably deserving of
“We really don’t know how many cats are still in the wild,” Nogales-Ascarrunz said. “We need science, we need more studies to answer this question, which is actually critical for its conservation.”
Leopardus tilcayo may be new to us, but its habitat has long been under threat.
Instead of pining after exotic and protected species, I highly suggest you focus on local cats that need a home and provide them with
If you do want to get involved, look into supporting conversation efforts for the Bolivian Yungas, such as the
. The tilcayo’s habitat is under serious threat from surrounding development and could use all the help it can get.
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