Yes. On September 17, 2026, researchers writing in Current Biology formally described Leopardus tilcayo, a small spotted tiger cat from Bolivia’s Yungas cloud forests—the first newly named living cat species in more than a century (since the Uruguayan pampas cat in 1923).
Whole-genome analysis of 38 Leopardus samples showed the animals long lumped as “tiger cats” actually comprise five distinct species; L. tilcayo split from related lineages about 1.4 million years ago. Descriptions rest on scarce live records, including a captive type specimen nicknamed Tigrino at Senda Verde sanctuary near La Paz.
Source: Live Science coverage of the Current Biology species description