Under the taxonomic classification proposed by Nascimento et al. (2020), the Pampas Cat population Southern Brazil, Uruguay and Northeastern Argentina is given species status as Leopardus munoai. This makes it the species with the smallest range of all Brazilian felids.

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Once its threat assessment is complete, the species will likely become the Western Hemisphere’s only Critically Endangered felid. L. munoai is a poorly known species, and the ongoing pandemic is making it very difficult for us to conduct field research. Nevertheless, we have already identified important threats and key conservation actions needed. A major issue at the moment is getting the Brazilian Government to recognize this population as a valid species. Without this, conservation legislation will not apply to the species, running the risk of becoming extinct on the short-term. Wild Cats Brazil  is trying to speed the process of giving species status to L. munoai, click the link below for more information.