Meet the Tilcayo Cat 鈥?Bolivia's brand-new wild cat species
In September 2026 scientists formally described Leopardus tilcayo, a small spotted wild cat from Bolivia's Yungas cloud forest 鈥?the first cat species new to science in more than a century. TilcayoCat.com is your complete, plain-English field guide to the newest member of the cat family.
Explore the species 鈫?/a> How it was discovered
Leopardus tilcayo at Senda Verde Animal Refuge, Bolivia 路 Photo: Fernando Faciole / National Geographic
Tilcayo cat: key facts at a glance
Verified from the description published in Current Biology and coverage by National Geographic Explorers, BBC Wildlife and international news outlets.
| Scientific name | Leopardus tilcayo |
|---|---|
| Common name | Tilcayo cat / Tilcayo tiger cat |
| First described | September 2026, in Current Biology |
| Native to | Bolivia’s Yungas cloud forest |
| Head–body length | ≈ 45–46 cm (18 in) |
| Weight | ≈ 1.3–1.4 kg (≈ 3 lb) |
| Coat | Pale brown with irregular dark rosettes |
| Activity | Likely nocturnal (camera-trap evidence) |
| Known living individuals | Two confirmed; one in protective captivity |
| Lineage split | ≈ 1.4 million years ago from other tiger cats |
What exactly is a tilcayo cat?
A quick orientation before you dive deeper.
The tilcayo cat (Leopardus tilcayo) is a small wild cat that lives in the Yungas cloud forest of Bolivia, on the eastern slopes of the Andes where the mountains tumble down toward the Amazon basin. "Tilcayo" is the name local communities have long used for the animal 鈥?researchers chose it deliberately, to honor the ancestral knowledge of the people who knew this cat before science did.
For decades the tilcayo was hidden in plain sight. It belongs to the tiger cat group, a set of small spotted cats once lumped together as a single wide-ranging species. Only when researchers analyzed DNA from 38 individuals 鈥?including museum specimens more than a century old 鈥?did the group shatter into five separate species, each with its own evolutionary history. The tilcayo's lineage split from its relatives roughly 1.4 million years ago.
It is smaller than a typical house cat 鈥?about 45 centimeters long and roughly 1.4 kilograms 鈥?with pale brown fur, larger and more irregular rosettes than its cousins, and, if camera-trap evidence is right, a nocturnal lifestyle hunting small rodents in the forest understory.
Start here: the complete guide
Every question about the newest cat on Earth, answered in depth.
Species profile
The complete Leopardus tilcayo fact sheet: taxonomy, size, appearance, range and what we still don't know.
The discovery story
From a family pet in a Bolivian village to the pages of Current Biology 鈥?how science found a new cat.
Appearance & size
What the tilcayo looks like: rosettes, teddy-bear ears, and how big (or small) it really is.
Habitat & range
Inside Bolivia's Yungas cloud forest 鈥?one of the least-studied, most biodiverse places on Earth.
Tilcayo vs. its lookalikes
How to tell the tilcayo from the oncilla, margay, ocelot 鈥?and even from your house cat.
One tiger cat 鈫?five species
The genetics behind the biggest shake-up in small-cat taxonomy in a century.
Diet & behavior
Rodents in scat, glowing eyes on camera traps: piecing together the life of a ghost cat.
Latest from the field
We track every credible report on Leopardus tilcayo and update this site continuously.
- September 2026 鈥?Scientists announce Leopardus tilcayo, the first new wild cat species in over a century 鈫?/a>
See the full news timeline 鈫?/a>
People also ask
Short answers now 鈥?full detail in our FAQ.
Is the tilcayo cat a real species?
Yes. It was formally described as Leopardus tilcayo in a peer-reviewed paper in Current Biology in September 2026, based on genetic and morphological evidence.
Where does the tilcayo cat live?
In Bolivia's Yungas 鈥?mountain cloud forests on the eastern slopes of the Andes, in the Andes鈥揂mazon transition zone. Its full range is not yet known.
How many tilcayo cats exist?
Only two living individuals have been confirmed so far, including a ten-year-old male living at the Senda Verde wildlife sanctuary in Bolivia. Researchers are now deploying camera traps to find wild populations.
Can you have a tilcayo cat as a pet?
No. It is a protected wild animal. The known captive individual was surrendered by a family and now lives in a sanctuary under professional care 鈥?a cautionary tale, not a recommendation.