A spotted cat from Bolivia's forests turns out to be an entirely new species
New wild cat species discovered – with only one known living member
DNA studies have confirmed that a small spotted cat from Bolivia's Yungas forests is a new species, Leopardus tilcayo, nicknamed Tigrino. Only one living member is known, a 10-year-old cat in a rescue sanctuary, though researchers believe others exist. The finding suggests there may be five tiger cat species rather than three, expanding the world's cat family from 41 known species to 44 or more. Scientists hope it will draw attention to the conservation of these small, elusive wild cats.
It's amazing that there are still new species waiting to be discovered: we don't have to go to a volcano, an island, or deep into the sea.