Liam Gilliver/European Correspondent.
The Leopardus tilcayo is slightly smaller than a domestic cat, measuring around 45 centimetres – and was first mistaken for a pet.
For the first time in more than a century, scientists have discovered a new species of wild cat.
The Tilcayo tiger cat is a small feline with a spotted, leopard-like coat, and was first identified in the mountainous Yang’s region near La Paz, the capital of Bolivia.
At first, locals who spotted the animal presumed it was a domesticated cat. But DNA studies found that it is actually in a class of its own.
New wild cat species discovered
Biologist and National Geographic explorer Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz, who was part of the research team, described the discovery as a “remarkable event”.
A new wild cat species hasn’t been described in 100 years, with the last discovery dating back to 1923.
The nickname “tilcayo” given to the animal by locals inspired its new scientific designation: Leopardus tilcayo. It is slightly smaller than a domestic cat, measuring around 45 centimetres (18 inches), with rounded ears.
A male tilcayo is living at an animal shelter in Yungas, after it was handed over by a family who had taken in the creature, while a female was rescued and released into the wild after being attacked by locals.
Research on the species was published on Thursday in the journal Current Biology, capping off research that scientists began in 2021.
Introducing the Tilcayo tiger cat
“So far, it’s only been detected in Bolivia” and not “anywhere else on the planet,” Nogales-Ascarrunz adds.
Little is known about the elusive creature, but Nogales-Ascarrunz says they’re classified as vulnerable to extinction, and could soon be considered “at much greater risk” of dying out.
Mystery remains on what these cats eat, or get eaten by, how they reproduce and many other facets of their day-to-day lives in the wild.
Researchers now hope that the methods they used to identify the new cat can be used to find even more cat species around the world, and develop on ways to protect them.
Tigers are often referred as environmental warriors due to the profound impact they have on the natural world. Tigers help reduce carbon dioxide by existing in protected habitats that can allow vasts stretches of forest to act as natural carbon sinks.
As top predators, tigers hunt large plant-eating animals such as deer, which can prevent herbivores from overgrazing, allowing trees and plants to grow fully and absorb even more carbon.
