A woman skiing in the Xinjiang province of China was rushed to the hospital on the night of January 23 after a snow leopard attacked her. While she is now in stable condition, grisly photos and video of the attack serve as a grim reminder to admire wildlife from a distance.
The encounter occurred around 7 pm local time in the Keketuohai Scenic Area. The tourist was returning to her hotel in the Koktokay Township after a day of skiing. There were a number of other tourists in the area when she noticed a snow leopard in the distance, resting in the snow. Fellow tourists warned her repeatedly not to approach, but after a better picture, she did so anyway.
Finally, when she was only about three meters from the animal, it lunged for her face. While her ski helmet provided potentially life-saving protection, the attack still left her bloody and knocked to the ground. Witness footage shows the leopard crouching over her in the moments after the attack.
At this moment, a nearby ski instructor rushed over, waving his ski poles threateningly. This succeeded in scaring off the big cat.
Blurry cell phone footage shows the leopard crouched over the woman’s prone form. Photo: X
Not aggressive if left alone
The injured woman was quickly brought to Fuyun County People’s Hospital. Local officials report that they are running more frequent patrols in response to the incident.
The snow leopard behind the attack had been photographed nearby on January 17, then again on January 21. According to local wildlife officials, tourists were warned about a leopard in the area and had been told to keep their distance.
Tigers, cougars, and polar bears sometimes stalk and attack humans as prey. But snow leopards don’t look at humans as a food source. In fact, there are no confirmed reports of a snow leopard killing a person. Snow leopards tend to be shy and elusive, living in sparse numbers across isolated, mountainous regions.
This incident shows that even non-aggressive wildlife can be dangerous if people fail to follow safety guidelines.
