A skiing tourist was attacked by a snow leopard after trying to take a selfie with the rare beast in China.
The tourist was left seriously injured after the attack by the wild animal in the Talat village area of the Keketuohai UNESCO Global Geopark in Funyun County, northern China, at around 7pm on Friday.
Video footage shows the tourist trapped underneath the leopard in deep snow before being helped away by people, clutching her face pouring with blood.
The incident happened when the skier moved dangerously close to the beast in an attempt to take a photo with it on the way back to her hotel.
Despite warnings the previous day by authorities after the animal was sighted in the area, the skier moved within 10 feet of the animal after spotting it in the snow and reportedly not being able to get a good enough angle for a snap.
The animal pounced on the woman and mauled her face before being chased away by a ski instructor waving his poles at the beast.
The skier was saved by her helmet from more serious injuries, but was taken to a local hospital for treatment where she remains in a stable condition.
The leopard was spotted by tourists staying at a hotel in the area the previous day, near to a grassy area, likely because of hunger.
The tourist was helped away clutching her face, which was pouring with blood after the attack
Footage showed the snow leopard pounced on top of the skier and reportedly maul her face before being scared off by an instructor
The incident in northern China happened after the woman edged closer to the wild animal in an attempt to take a photo with it
Local authorities warned citizens that multiple sightings of snow leopards had been reported in the park in recent days, advising people to ‘move quickly’ and not to ‘linger’
The owner of the hotel said: ‘We saw it last night, a few kilometres from where the attack took place, but we can’t confirm if it’s the same snow leopard.’
Local authorities warned citizens that multiple sightings of snow leopards had been reported in the Geopark in recent days, stating: ‘Recently, snow leopard activity has been detected in Gem Valley, Keketuohai.
‘Snow leopards are large predators with strong aggressive tendencies.
‘When passing through this area, please move quickly and do not linger.
‘Do not get out of your vehicle or approach to take photos, and never walk alone in the surrounding area.’
China is home to the highest number of wild snow leopards in the world, according to the Snow Leopard Trust.
The country has around 60 per cent of the world’s snow leopard population, but attacks on humans are considered rare as the animals are known for their shy and elusive nature.
American biologist and conservationist George Schaller previously said on the subject: ‘I don’t know of a single case of a snow leopard that would attack and kill people.’
The species, now classified as vulnerable, live across 12 countries in Central Asia, including China, India and Mongolia.
An investigation into the attack on Friday is ongoing.
