High in the Andes mountains, a tiny cat called a tilcayo has been identified. Scientists introduced it in a study published September 17 in the journal Current Biology. They say it represents the first new wild cat species discovered in more than 100 years.
A tilcayo has been living at the Senda Verde Wildlife Sanctuary, in Bolivia, since 2017. His name is Tigrino. His keepers assumed he was a type of cat called an oncilla. But in 2019, scientist Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz began studying him. She was surprised by his tiny size. Tigrino weighs only three pounds, making him much smaller than an oncilla. She was also surprised by his spots.
Working with other scientists, Nogales-Ascarrunz compared Tigrino’s DNA with DNA taken from other wild cats. The team realized Tigrino is unlike them. He’s part of the first new species added to the cat family tree since 1923.
Little else is known about tilcayos. Scientists aren’t sure how many of them live in the wild. In an interview with the Associated Press, Senda Verde cofounder Marcelo Levy called Tigrino an “ambassador for conservation.” Levy hopes the tilcayo will raise awareness about the need to protect wild cats and the places where they live.
Stop and Think!
WHOM did the author quote in the story? If you could hear from more people, who would they be and why?
More from World
Share a Link
- Click the icon above to copy the url link to your clipboard.
- Paste the link into the location in which you share assignments with students. Examples might include, but are not limited to Canvas, Schoology and Edmodo.
Google Classroom
- Click on the icon above to share the article with a class in your Google Classroom.
- Choose an action. Options might include creating an assignment or asking a question.
