A tiny wild cat hidden away in the cloud forests of Bolivia has become an unlikely tourist attraction, drawing a stream of visitors hoping for a glimpse of the animal that <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/lifestyle/nature-and-wildlife/article/meet-earths-newest-wild-cat-species-the-first-named-in-over-a-century-in-bolivia-23651071" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">scientists have identified as a brand new species</a>.
There is just one problem: Tigrino, as he has been affectionately dubbed, doesn't like the attention.
The small, spotted feline with large, leopardlike spots is easily stressed, so caretakers at the wildlife sanctuary near La Paz keep him out of public view, turning away the crowds eager for a closer look. When The Associated Press visited Sunday, Tigrino cautiously emerged from his shelter, sniffed the air and paced around for a few minutes before slipping back into the foliage.
Tigrino belongs to Leopardus tilcayo, the first living wild cat species described by scientists in more than a century. At just 18 inches (46 centimeters) from head to the base of his tail and 3 pounds (1.4 kilograms), he is smaller than <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/lifestyle/nature-and-wildlife/article/bobtail-cats-with-hooked-and-bent-tails-fill-japans-nagasaki-where-they-are-thought-to-bring-good-luck-23555973" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">the average house cat</a>.
The discovery published Thursday in the journal Current Biology set off a flurry of excitement on social media. Visitors from across Bolivia and beyond have flocked to the Senda Verde Wildlife Sanctuary, where Tigrino has lived since 2017, when a family brought him there after trying unsuccessfully to make a house cat of him.
"Tigrino has become, in just a few days, an ambassador for conservation," said sanctuary co-founder Marcelo Levy, adding that the new species designation <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/web-stories/red-panda-day-2026-5-amazing-wildlife-facts-about-them-8396" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">has helped raise awareness</a> about the need to protect wild cats and their habitat in Bolivia's tropical forests.
"He's such a tiny animal, and he has become something so important," Levy said.
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Tiny wild cat hidden away in the cloud forests of Bolivia has become an unlikely tourist attraction, drawing a stream of visitors hoping for glimpse of the cat

Newly discovered wild cat draws curious visitors in Bolivia days after identification

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The small, spotted feline with large, leopardlike spots is easily stressed, so caretakers at the wildlife sanctuary near La Paz keep him out of public view, turning away the crowds eager for a closer look

Newly discovered wild cat draws curious visitors in Bolivia days after identification

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Home / Lifestyle / Nature & Wildlife / Article / Newly discovered wild cat draws curious visitors in Bolivia days after identification

Newly discovered wild cat draws curious visitors in Bolivia days after identification

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