New Wild Cat Species Discovered for the First Time in 100 Years in Bolivia's Yungas Forest: 'It's actually smaller than a domestic house cat'

The useful part

For the first time in a century, scientists have formally identified an entirely new living cat species. Before you start imagining some enormous jungle predator with teeth the size of your forearm, I should probably mention that this purrticular feline weighs about 3 lbs. Meet the tilcayo, or Leopardus tilcayo, a tiny spotted wild cat living in Bolivia's misty Yungas forests.

How it works

• After years of research, genetic testing confirmed that this was an entirely distinct species.
• With its little rounded ears, meowrvelous whiskers, and beautiful leopard-like markings, it looks like someone took a wild jungle cat and accidentally shrank it in the washing machine.
• A local man reportedly found one of these kittens near a forest road and brought it home, believing it was a regular domestic cat.
• Eventually, the little wild cat ended up at a wildlife sanctuary, where biologist Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz noticed something unusual about its appearance.

What to take from it

Imagine adopting a kitten and accidentally helping scientists rewrite the entire feline family tree.

Details worth keeping

It's not every day that a new cat species is discovered. Turns out that the world still has many secrets we haven't unlocked yet.