New wild cat species discovered in Bolivia after century
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A man in Bolivia adopted a strange cat and later turned it over to Senda Verde, a wildlife rehabilitation center near La Paz, sparking a scientific discovery.
Biologists at the center, working with researchers from the University of Antwerp in Belgium, determined the animal represented a previously unknown species of wild cat. Genetic analysis showed the cat diverged from other lineages around 1.4 million years ago.
Local communities in Bolivia had known about the cat for generations, calling it the tilcayo, which is now the species’ official scientific name, Leopardus tilcayo. The tilcayo is smaller than a domestic cat, with a spotted coat and round ears, and lives in the Yungas, a cloud forest where the Andes Mountains meet the Amazon basin. Scientists do not yet know how many tilcayo cats remain in the wild.
Further research will be necessary to assess the population and ensure its conservation. Researchers hope this discovery will bring more resources to protect vulnerable wild cat populations in Bolivia.
