DNA analysis has confirmed a spotted wildcat from Bolivia's Yungas as a new species named Leopardus tilcayo, the result of a study published in Current Biology. The discovery began with a 10-year-old cat nicknamed Tigrino at a Bolivian rescue sanctuary, found earlier in the forest and initially mistaken for a domestic kitten. Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz of Universidad Mayor de San Andres led the identification and said the cat is in a class of its own. Co-researchers including conservation geneticist Eduardo Eizirik and Dr Caroline Sartor at the University of Oxford used DNA from living animals and museum specimens to reassess tiger cat relationships. The study indicates there are five tiger cat species rather than the three previously recognized, and Leopardus tilcayo had been hiding because of scarce records and museum specimens. Tiger cats face threats from deforestation, habitat loss and illegal hunting, and researchers said recognizing the new species is essential to target its conservation and locate other individuals in the wild.
