New cat species discovered in Bolivia for first time in over 100 years

The Washington Post ^ | September 17, 2026 | Amy B Wang

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Named Leopardus tilcayo, the new cat looks not unlike a leopard that shrank to the size of a house kitten.

A new cat has been discovered in Bolivia, the first time in more than a century that scientists have confirmed a new feline species in the world.

Named Leopardus tilcayo, after the word by which locals referred to it, the cat weighs roughly five pounds, is spotted with a slender body and has a light brown coat patterned with dark rosettes, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Current Biology.

It looks not unlike a leopard that shrank to the size of a house kitten.

In fact, biologist Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz told National Geographic that when she first saw the cat at a Bolivian wildlife sanctuary in 2016, she assumed it was a member of the Leopardus tigrinus species, which have similar leopard-like markings and had been discovered in the late 18th century.

However, Nogales-Ascarrunz noticed that the cat in Bolivia had larger rosettes than existing illustrations of Leopardus tigrinus. Subsequent genetic tests confirmed it was an entirely new species.

“Our world is extremely complex,” Nogales-Ascarrunz told the magazine. “Sometimes we think that most of it is known, that there’s not a whole lot to discover, but in fact, it’s the other way around.”

[gleeaikin]

I read and experiment was done with foxes. After 8 generations of breeding the most tame/least hostile in each generation, they ended up with pet friendly foxes.

[MayflowerMadam]

IIRC, some people are working on domesticating raccoons. They have cute faces, but otherwise are a little creepy to me.