Nogales-Ascarrunz runs Programa de Investigación de Félidos Bolivia, a conservation program focused on the country's felines, and volunteers at the Senda Verde Wildlife Sanctuary. In an interview reported by NBC News, she described being struck by the animal's unusually small size and initially thinking it was a kitten.
According to the sanctuary's account, a man from a forest community near La Paz had taken in the animal believing it was a domestic cat. He fed it noodles, rice and eggs before realizing that it was wild and that he could not care for it. He then brought it to the sanctuary.
The account distinguishes the discovery from cases in which genetic analysis identifies a separate species among animals already known to scientists. Finding a previously unrecognized wild cat in this way is described as exceptionally rare. The tilcayo is thought to have diverged from other felines in the region about 1.4 million years ago.
Its name comes from a local Indigenous language, although the meaning is uncertain. The number of tilcayos is also unknown, and the area where they live faces pressure from development.
The discovery prompted automotive publication The Autopian to consider whether the name could join a long list of feline car names. Jaguar is an entire brand built around one, while Mercury used Cougar, Lynx and Bobcat. Other examples include the Sunbeam Tiger, Buick Wildcat and Cheetah.
The article floated several possibilities for the tilcayo name, including a racing car, a Ford model or a vehicle from a Chinese manufacturer. It pointed to BYD's use of animal names and investment in South America. These suggestions were the author's speculation about potential uses of the name.
The author also argued that any company adopting the name should support local organizations protecting the animal's habitat, connecting the proposed automotive tribute with the conservation needs of the newly identified cat.