DNA analysis has confirmed that a spotted wildcat from Bolivia is a distinct species named Leopardus tilcayo, found in the country's Yungas cloud forest. Only one confirmed living individual is known, a 10-year-old cat nicknamed Tigrino kept at a Bolivian rescue sanctuary after being found by a local resident. Bolivian researcher Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz of Universidad Mayor de San Andres led the work that triggered broader investigation into tiger cats, joining international colleagues who compared DNA from living animals and museum specimens. The study, published in Current Biology, indicates there are five tiger cat species rather than the previously recognized three, placing the tilcayo among that group. Conservation geneticist Eduardo Eizirik noted the species had been hiding because of scarce records and specimens, and Oxford’s Caroline Sartor said the finding matters because protection is impossible without knowing what and where a species is. Tiger cats are already considered vulnerable to deforestation, habitat loss and illegal hunting, and the tilcayo is missing from earlier conservation assessments, so researchers hope the formal description will focus attention on its status and range.
