New wild cat species discovered - with only one known living member
A spotted wildcat long mistaken for relatives has been identified as a new species in Bolivia.
Coverage by Political Leaning
See how different sides of the spectrum reported this story
Notable Quotes
"It's an amazing result that we have a new species for the world, which is the Leopardus tilcayo."
— Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz , Academic
"These are animals similar in size to a domestic cat, so you might think we would know them all by now, but this discovery shows how much biodiversity is still to be uncovered in some of the less-studied regions of the world."
— Dr Caroline Sartor , Academic
"There's so few records or pictures, no individual in a museum, so it was hiding because nobody was looking."
— Eduardo Eizirik , Academic
Key People
Co-researcher from the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit at the University of Oxford.
Conservation geneticist at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil.
Bolivian scientist involved in the discovery of the new wild cat species.
Locations
All Coverage
A spotted wildcat long mistaken for relatives has been identified as a new species in Bolivia.
Similar Stories
Related coverage based on topic and tags
'Special surprise' as rare moth found in nature reserve for first time
Experts called it a "special surprise" to find an "incredibly sparse moth" in this habitat.
September 30, 2026 at 09:58 PMRare tree on Somerset clifftops being protected
A rare tree, Fay's whitebeam, that is only found on cliffs in Somerset is being protected.
October 4, 2026 at 12:14 PMI'm a wildlife cameraman but 'special' rare sightings can still take me by surprise
Wildlife cameraman Dan Abbot is caught off guard by a humpback whale, a rare sight in Welsh waters.
October 3, 2026 at 05:08 PMFossil found on Welsh beach ends 'confusion' over 200-million-year-old fish teeth
Fossilised teeth across Europe had been wrongly identified until the latest find in south Wales.
September 28, 2026 at 04:04 PMBumblebee project seeking to help rare species
The programme to help the Moss carder species will focus on Cornwall, Kent and the North Pennines.
September 27, 2026 at 06:12 AMIndonesia detects new land formations from Anak Krakatau eruptions - Reuters
Indonesia detects new land formations from Anak Krakatau eruptions Reuters
October 3, 2026 at 06:06 AM