Moggy mistaken for stray turns out to be new cat species, first in 100 years

La Paz: A cat that was initially presumed to be a stray moggy has been confirmed as an entirely new species.

The discovery was made in the Yungas cloud forest in Bolivia. Scientists initially thought the cat — mistaken for a stray by the person who found it — was a northern tiger cat.

However, while it looks similar with its leopard-like spots, DNA tests showed it to be a species of its own. It’s the first new cat species discovery in more than 100 years.

The mysterious individual is currently the only confirmed living member of the Tilcayo cat family.

“Describing a new cat species after more than 100 years shows how much we still have to learn about the biodiversity around us,” said Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz, a scientist from Universidad Mayor de San Andres in La Paz, Bolivia.

“But it also reminds us that we need to protect the Yungas forests, which are home to so many species — including some we are only beginning to understand.”