🔻A small wild cat-like animal that lives in Bolivia’s misty forests has been identified as an unknown, new species; this is the first time in the past century that a living new species from the cat family has been officially named and described.

The cat belongs to a group of cats known as “ocelots” (big cats) that are found in a vast portion of South America. According to researchers, the species was discovered in the lush Yungas forest in Bolivia; a mountainous area with very high humidity where its forests are often shrouded in a blanket of clouds and mist.

The cat’s body length is about 46 centimeters and its weight is about 1.4 kilograms; making it smaller than a domestic cat.

The cat remained hidden from researchers for years, because it was mistaken for other wild cats with similar spots and stripes. Continued from:

📷National Geographic/Reuters