In the Andes mountains, a tiny cat called a tilcayo has been identified. Scientists introduced the cat in a study published on September 17 in Current Biology. It says the tilcayo is the first new wild cat species found in more than 100 years.
There’s a tilcayo named Tigrino at the Senda Verde Wildlife Sanctuary. That’s in Bolivia. Tigrino’s keepers thought he was a type of cat called an oncilla. But scientist Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz began studying him. She was surprised by his size. Tigrino weighs only three pounds. He’s smaller than an oncilla, and his spots are different.
Nogales-Ascarrunz worked with other scientists. They compared Tigrino’s DNA with DNA from other wild cats. They realized Tigrino is unlike them.
Marcelo Levy, who cofounded Senda Verde, spoke with the Associated Press. He called Tigrino an “ambassador for conservation.” He hopes the tilcayo will raise awareness about the need to protect wild cats and the places where they live.
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