New wild cat identified for first time in over a century

A new wild cat species was discovered in Bolivia, according to a research study published Thursday in the journal Current Biology. The small cat is the first new, living feline species identified by scientists in over 100 years, according to the study. Locals called the animal tilcayo, leading to its official name of Leopardus tilcayo. Researchers said the feline was native to Bolivia's Yungas cloud forest, weighing around 3 pounds and approximately 18 inches long—smaller than a typical house cat. Its species is part of a group found across much ​of South America called tiger cats, the study said. The tilcayo cat has a scrunched-up face, round ears, and long whiskers.

How was the cat discovered? A local family kept what they believed to be a kitten with leopard-like spots for a year, the study’s co-author Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz told NBC News. The family later realized it was wild and brought it to a nearby animal sanctuary. There, researchers used genetic testing to determine the cat was a distinct species. Researchers said that, so far, not much was known about the species' population size or its behaviors.

The methods used to identify the new cat could be used to find more cat species across the world, according to National Geographic, which funds the work of Nogales-Ascarrunz.