Bolivian Cloud Forest Yields First New Wild Cat Species in a Century

La Paz, Thursday, 17 September 2026.
Scientists formally identified the Tilcayo tiger cat (Leopardus tilcayo), marking the first new living felid species named in over 100 years. Diverging 1.4 million years ago, it smaller than a house cat and weighs under two kilograms, fundamentally altering South American wildlife conservation strategies.