New cat species identified in Bolivia for first time in more than a century

Paola Nogales Ascarrunz, a National Geographic explorer who led the research that identified the new species, observes the cat at an animal refuge in the Yungas region in Bolivia, on 1 September 2026. Photograph: Fernando Faciole/National Geographic/Reuters Paola Nogales Ascarrunz, a National Geographic explorer who led the research that identified the new species, observes the cat at an animal refuge in the Yungas region in Bolivia, on 1 September 2026. Photograph: Fernando Faciole/National Geographic/Reuters Bolivia New cat species identified in Bolivia for first time in more than a century New species of wild cat was discovered in Bolivia’s Yungas forest and is smaller than the average domestic ⁠cat

Prefer the Guardian on Google A diminutive wild cat that inhabits Bolivia’s ⁠cloud forest has been identified as a previously unknown species, marking the first time a new living cat species has been formally named and described in more than a century.