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A tiny cat from Bolivia’s cloud forest has been recognised as a new species
The team compared genomes from more than 30 cats across South America and DNA from museum bones and skins. The lineage is estimated to have split about 1.4 million years ago.
One sanctuary male measured about 46 cm head-to-tail-base and 1.4 kg. One animal is not the species average.
What “first in a century” means
It is described as the first entirely new living wild-cat species named since 1923, distinct from reclassifying a known subspecies.
The name
Tilcayo preserves the local community name; discovery language should not erase existing local knowledge.
How many remain
Population, diet, behaviour and full range are unknown. It is confirmed in Yungas cloud forest, pressured by deforestation and gold mining.
Next check
Camera traps, genetics and habitat surveys must define range and conservation status; naming alone does not protect a population.
Primary source and independent checks
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