A rescued chinchilla is held by a veterinarian at the San Diego Humane Society in Oceanside
A rescued chinchilla is held by a veterinarian at the San Diego Humane Society in Oceanside, California after Hollywood mogul and co-creator of The Simpsons, Sam Simon, financed the purchase of a chinchilla farm in order to rescue over 400 chinchillas and close the Vista, California business August 19, 2014. In what all parties described as a "win-win" deal, 90-year-old owner Lurlie Adams was able to offload the farm she did not want any more to Simon for $50,000. And the 425 chinchillas were moved to much larger cages while awaiting adoption. Picture taken August 19, 2014. REUTERS/Mike Blake (UNITED STATES - Tags: ANIMALS ENTERTAINMENT ENVIRONMENT SOCIETY BUSINESS) Reuters

A species of a huge rat, chinchilla was believed to be extinct until a group of scientists conducting a field study in the ancient Incan city of Machu Picchu have rediscovered it. The rat is as big as a cat and the only evidence that pointed towards the existence of this species were two fossil remains of a rat that were found in the past.

According to Yahoo News, the cat sized rat was believed to have existed 400 years ago. In 1912, two skulls of this mammal were found in 400-year-old Incan pottery. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species had categorized the chinchilla rat as an extinct species as no previous ecological surveys showed any proof of the existence of the rat.

Horacio Zeballos lead researcher and his team however, confirmed that the species is not extinct and still lives in the forest. The team had conducted the research to find new species.

According to Monogabay, an independent environment news reporting site, the researchers wrote that they conducted their field work on steep hills that were inclined at a 60 degree angle and was dominated by montane forests. Mosses, lichens and other plants covered the trees.

Zeballos was successful in finding seven new species in and around the Machu Picchu area. Along with the chinchilla rat, four new species of frog, one new lizard specie and a new aquatic rodent was discovered.

Among them the chinchilla rat that was believed to be extinct centuries ago was sighted by Robert Quispe, a park guard, in 2009. He found the rat injured and not knowing the significance of the mammal, he treated and released it into the forests.

Five years later Zeballos and his team tracked the rat down in the forests near Wiñayhuayna, reports Monogabay. The place is another archaeological site that is on the way from Inca to Machu Picchu. Their discovery proves that the arboreal chinchilla rat actually never went extinct.

However, the species is endangered as its natural habitat is being destroyed. Agriculture and cattle grazing has taken over, resulting in a destruction of the forests. But Zeballos stated that the discovery of these species may help protect the forests around the famous archaeological site, Machu Picchu.

"It seems that the federal government has become more interested in reducing deforestation in the national park and the sanctuary in recent years," he said.