Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz

Lead researcher, National Geographic Explorer

Appears in 1 story

Born: August 5, 1994, La Paz

Education: Higher University of San Andrés, Queen Mary University of London

Last updated Nov 2, 2026

Stories

New wild cat species identified in Bolivia, first in over a century

New Capabilities

As of September 2026: Led the study identifying Leopardus tilcayo

A tiny spotted cat from Bolivia's cloud forests has been identified as the first new living cat species in over a century. The Tilcayo tiger cat (Leopardus tilcayo) is smaller than a house cat and was long mistaken for its relatives.

Updated Sep 22