“Describing a new cat species after more than 100 years shows how much we still have to learn about the biodiversity around us.” —#NatGeoExplorer Paola Nogales Ascarrunz (paonogasca) “We chose to name the species ‘Tilcayo’ — the name local communities use to describe the cat. It’s our way of honoring their ancestral knowledge and connection to this animal. 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.” - Meet the first wild cat species described by scientists in over a century, Leopardus tilcayo (the Tilcayo cat). 🐾 Weighing just 3 pounds, this elusive feline is smaller than a house cat and inhabits the dense canopy of Bolivia’s Yungas cloud forest. Scientists are now deploying camera traps across the cloud forest to map the species’ range and establish targeted conservation safeguards. Photos by fellow Explorer fernando.faciole