A small wild cat species, native to the Yungas forest region of Bolivia, has been officially recognized by the scientific community. Known by local communities as the 'Tilcayo,' the animal belongs to the 'tiger cat' group, which is distributed across various parts of South America. The discovery is significant as it represents the first time a new living species of cat has been formally named and described in more than a century.

The cat inhabits the Yungas forest, a mountainous, high-humidity environment characterized by frequent cloud cover. While the SCMP report highlights the rarity of the discovery, it notes that the cat has been known to local populations by its regional name prior to this formal scientific classification. The process of identifying the cat involved distinguishing it from other known tiger cat species within the region. This finding adds to the biodiversity profile of the Andean cloud forests, which are known for their unique and often isolated ecosystems. Scientists suggest that further study is required to understand the population size and specific conservation needs of the Tilcayo, given the environmental pressures facing the region's cloud forests.