New cat species identified in Bolivia for first time in more than a century

New cat species found, first in more than 100 years

A new species of living cat has been identified for the first time in more than a century.

Sep 18, 2026

New Species of Cat Discovered for First Time in a Century

The species, called a tilcayo, is smaller than a house cat and lives in the cloud forests of the Andes Mountains in Bolivia.

Sep 18, 2026

New tiger cat species identified in Bolivia, first in over a century

Leopardus tilcayo is the first new living cat species named and described in more than a century.

Sep 18, 2026

New cat species identified in Bolivia for first time in more than a century

New species of wild cat was discovered in Bolivia’s Yungas forest and is smaller than the average domestic ⁠cat A diminutive wild cat that inhabits Bolivia’s ⁠cloud forest has been identified as a previously unknown species, marking the first time a new living cat species has been formally named and described in more than a century. The cat, called Tilcayo by local communities, is part of a group called tiger ⁠cats found across much of South ⁠America. It was found in Bolivia’s ​lush Yungas fores

Sep 17, 2026