Scientists have identified the first new wildcat species in more than a century. The cat, named Leopardus tilcayo, lives in Bolivia’s Yungas cloud forests. The discovery was published in Current Biology in September 2026.

The small spotted cat measures about 46 cm long and weighs around 1.4 kg. It has large rosettes on its coat. The name “tilcayo” honours the term used by local communities for the animal.

The identification was led by Bolivian researcher Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz. A genetic study of the tiger-cat group split it into five species. Only one captive specimen, a cat named Tigrino at the Senda Verde rescue centre, is known to science.

The wildcat lives in cloud forests on the eastern slopes of the Andes. It is threatened by mining, wildfires and deforestation. Researchers have set up camera traps to find more individuals in the wild.

A National Geographic video on the discovery reached 71.9 million views in a month. Conservationists say the attention could help protect the species’ habitat. The discovery shows how much remains unknown about small carnivores in remote forests.