This isn't the first time, and it certainly won't be the last time that someone rescues a "kitten" that ends up being a wild cat. We've covered stories of people accidentally rescuing puma cubs, or the cat turns out to be a rare breed like a Norwegian forest cat, but none of these feline rescues have ever turned into the discovery of the century. It's not every day that you get to introduce a new wild cat to the scientific world. So, everyone, please let us furmally introduce you to Leopardus tilcayo.
A Bolivian man reportedly found one of these kittens near a forest road and brought it home, believing it was just a regular cat that got lost in the forest. After watching it grow, he started to suspect something was fishy, and it wasn't the tuna he was feeding the little catto. He brought the kitten to biologist Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz at a wildlife sanctuary. She confirmed his suspicions, immediately understanding that this wasn't any normal domestic cat. She started genetic testing, and finally found out that this kitten was a new species entirely. The first new species to be discovered in nearly 100 years!
You might be imagining that Leopardus tilcayo is some meowjestic, gigantic wild cat, thanks to the "Leopardus" in the beginning of its name. But, we have the cutest news to tell you - it's actually smaller than your average house cat. Approximately 3 lbs. Just for reference, one of my cats weighs around 5 lbs, and she's very small. My other one weighs around 9 lbs. (he is a bit chonky, though).
If this can happen to him, maybe it can happen to us! Who knows, we might be the next ones to discover a new cat species. So, Cat Distribution System, if you're listening - we're ready and willing to accept any baby wild cats you have to offer, even the undiscovered ones.