An elusive Andean Mountain Cat (Leopardus jacobita) has been sighted by conservationists in Argentina for only the third time in as many consecutive years.
The footage was captured by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Argentina, which commented on the “clear role” that trail cameras have played in helping to conserve what is, according to the organization, the most endangered cat species across the Andes.
Andean cats grow to roughly the same size as a large house cat. Their thick ash-gray fur is marked with brownish-orange spots and stripes, providing excellent camouflage against rocky terrain.
ABOVE: The elusive Andean Mountain Cat captured on a Bushnell trail camera
However, threatened by hunting, habitat loss and a reduction in its prey, the Andean cat is the only one in the Americas listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List. WCS Argentina estimates that there are around 2,100 mature individuals across South America.
The latest sighting was recorded in January 2026 in the La Payunia Protected Natural Area of Mendoza Province, which formed part of a broader WCS investigation into the species in northern Argentina over the past two decades.
“Every discovery is great news; it confirms that the Andean cat is still present in the area and that conservation efforts are yielding concrete results,” commented Dr María José Bolgeri, regenerative management manager at WCS Argentina.
While WCS had first observed the Andean cat with camera traps three years ago, in Neuquén Province, it had yet to snap frames of the feline in Mendoza.
That was until a local farmer described an encounter with one with “remarkable precision”. According to Dr Bolgeri, the farmer helped confirm the presence of the cat in the region, therefore helping conservationists decide on where to set up camera traps.
None of the sightings over the past three years, however, establish whether the local Andean cat population is increasing or decreasing.
Instead, they underline the importance of continued camera trap monitoring to improve understanding of the species' distribution and the challenges involved in studying elusive species.
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