Snow leopard mauls skier in China’s Xinjiang region

This still frame from a video shows the snow leopard that attacked a tourist in China's northwest Xinjiang region. (Weibo/Tiangang268 via CNN Newsource)

A tourist was mauled by a rare snow leopard in northwest China on Friday after trying to get closer for a photo, according to authorities and state media.

The tourist, a skier, was bitten in Koktokay town in China’s Xinjiang region, while on their way back to their hotel, according to the county’s Forestry and Grassland Bureau.

They had spotted the snow leopard – one of the world’s most elusive creatures to see in the wild – gotten out of their vehicle, and approached it to take photos before they were attacked, according to state-owned broadcaster CCTV.

Video footage that circulated on social media shows the tourist lying motionless on the snowy ground, with the leopard sitting nearby. In another clip, two bystanders help the injured tourist to their feet and toward safety, as they clutch their face below a ski helmet.

A voice can be heard asking whether the leopard had left, and one of the bystanders replied: “It’s gone.” Further clips show the leopard moving through deep snow in an outdoor area, with trees and boulders in the background.

The tourist was taken to the hospital and is in stable condition, the forestry bureau said. It added that local authorities have stepped up their safety patrols and public awareness campaigns.

“The general public and tourists are urged to strictly abide by the safety guidelines, maintain a safe distance when encountering wild animals, and report to the police immediately to ensure personal safety,” it said in an online notice.

Snow leopards, native to Central and South Asia, are a protected species within China, and a symbol of the country’s mountainous and high-altitude ecosystems. There are only 4,000 to 6,500 of them left worldwide – with 60 per cent of their habitat located in China, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

With a thick white-gray coat that blends into their surroundings, these reclusive felines live on high, rocky mountains with some of the harshest conditions on Earth, according to the WWF.

Very few snow leopards have been known to attack humans, according to various wildlife organizations, wildlife experts and Chinese state media reports. One study in 2020 surveyed 261 herders in Mongolia, another common habitat for snow leopards; while many reported having seen snow leopards, or had their livestock attacked by snow leopards, none reported any attacks on humans.

By Jessie Yeung, CNN