A small, spotted cat at a Bolivian wildlife sanctuary has turned out to belong to a previously unknown species. Scientists reported the discovery Thursday in the journal Current Biology. It is the first newly named and described living wild cat species in more than a century. The male weighs just three pounds, less than an average house cat. Comparing DNA from living cats and museum specimens helped researchers identify the species, named Leopardus tilcayo. Scientists still don’t know how many live in the wild. They hope the discovery will draw attention to deforestation and mining threatening its habitat in Bolivia’s Yungas forests.
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