Xinjiang UNESCO geopark: Chilling selfie revealed moments before snow leopard mauls tourist in China
Warning: Disturbing content
New footage has emerged showing the moment a tourist in northern China posed for a selfie just meters away from a snow leopard; moments before being brutally mauled by the big cat.
The photo, taken shortly before the attack, shows the woman dressed in purple ski gear standing dangerously close to the animal, highlighting how close she dared to get to take the photo.
Footage taken after the incident shows a woman lying in the snow in Fuyun district, near China’s border with Mongolia, being taken away with blood flowing from her face on Friday evening.
Local reports said the skier approached the animal after spotting it in the snow, closing the distance to about three meters to take photographs. A ski instructor eventually chased the leopard away by waving his stick.
The woman’s ski helmet is believed to have protected her from more serious injuries. The woman was taken to a nearby hospital and her condition was stated to be stable.
Authorities issued a warning to visitors after a large number of snow leopards were seen in the area, warning tourists not to linger, get out of their vehicles or approach the animals to take photos.
Warning: The following contains disturbing content
“Snow leopards are large predators with strong aggressive tendencies,” officials said, advising guests to move quickly in affected areas and avoid walking alone.
The skier was staying near the Keketuohai UNESCO Global Geopark in Xinjiang; here visitors reported seeing a snow leopard searching for food near a guesthouse the previous evening.
“We saw this last night… but we cannot confirm if it is the same snow leopard,” the guesthouse owner told local media.
China is home to approximately 60 percent of the world’s wild snow leopard population, but global numbers are estimated at between 4,000 and 6,500. Attacks on humans are thought to be extremely rare due to the animals’ shy and elusive behavior; However, officials emphasized that these were not wildlife to be turned into tourist selfies.
