Scientists discover new wild cat species in Bolivia after a century
Summary and headline written by AI from the source article. How we work
A team of scientists discovered a new species of wild cat, Leopardus tilcayo, in the Andes Mountains of Bolivia.
This is the first new cat species identified since 1923, when the Pampas cat of Uruguay was found. Locals in Los Yungas call the cat “Tilcayo,” a name researchers adopted because of the animal’s leopard-like markings. Researchers identified the new species through full genome sequencing after finding only two examples, a male and a female.
The male cat lived with a family before being moved to a shelter when its behavior proved unusual. The female cat recovered after being attacked in a local community and was released back into the wild. Leopardus tilcayo is notably small, measuring only 45 centimeters long, and has a longer tail than legs. Scientists currently classify the species as vulnerable to extinction due to its limited range, raising concerns about its future survival.
