A ski holiday turned into a serious incident in northwest China, where a tourist was attacked by a snow leopard after getting too close to the animal to take a photo. The incident occurred near the village of Talat, near the Koktokay ski resort, within the Keketuohai UNESCO Global Geopark, in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region.
The woman was returning to the hotel with two friends after a day of skiing when she noticed the rare predator. According to initial reconstructions, he would have looked for a closer shot, ignoring the danger. A few meters away, the snow leopard reacted, biting her in the face.
The video and the rescue
The attack was documented by a video spread on Weibo, quickly becoming viral online. The images show the tourist lying in the snow, with the leopard sitting shortly. In other clips, the woman is seen immobilized under the animal and then rescued by some people present on the scene, with a bloody face.
The ski helmet worn by the victim probably limited the severity of the injuries. The leopard was finally put to flight thanks to the intervention of a ski instructor, who waved his ski poles and managed to scare it. The tourist was transported to hospital and, according to local sources, is now in stable condition.
On Jan. 23, a skier was attacked by a #snowleopard while taking photos in Keketuohai, #Altay, #Xinjiang. The victim was taken to hospital and is now in stable condition, said local authorities.#wildlife #China pic.twitter.com/kPBkTn59ua
— Shenzhen Daily (@szdaily1) January 24, 2026
Warnings ignored
The animal was not an entirely unexpected presence. Already the previous day some visitors had reported sightings of snow leopards in the same area, near grassy areas and hotels. Local authorities had issued a safety warning, inviting people to avoid approaching wildlife.
After the attack, the alert was strengthened and patrols and protective barriers were intensified. An investigation was also launched to clarify the exact dynamics of the facts. According to some unofficial reconstructions, the woman also attempted a selfie, but at the moment there is no definitive confirmation.
Wild animals, not attractions
China is home to about 60% of the world’s snow leopard population, a species classified as vulnerable. Attacks on humans are very rare, also because these cats are known for their shy and elusive behavior. However, the episode brings a recurring theme back to the center: wild animals are not tourist attractions. Getting close for a photo can put not only people at risk, but also the animals themselves, often forced to react in defense. In natural contexts, distance and respect remain the only real safety rules.
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