Archaeologists have found a 2,000-year-old feline figure carved into a hillside in southern Peru. The geoglyph is around 37 meters long and was discovered by a drone. The discovery was made during remodeling work being done in the popular tourist spot. The feline figure was barely visible and was disappearing because of its location on a slope and natural erosion. However, after clean-up and conservation work, archaeologists found a series of clear lines, ranging in width from 12 to 16 inches.
The style of the cat figure suggests that it was created between 200 to 100 BC, in the late Paracas period. The Nazca Lines, most of which are only visible from the sky, were made by people making incisions on the desert floor to leave different colored dirt exposed. They are made up of thousands of lines including geometric patterns as well as the more famous animal figures. The reason for their creation is unknown but there are ritual and religious theories.