Overview
- The encounter happened around 7 p.m. on Jan. 23 near Talat Village in the Koktokay/Keketuohai scenic area of Fuyun County, Xinjiang.
- Reports say the tourist exited a vehicle and moved to within about three metres to take photos before the leopard bit her face; a ski instructor and bystanders drove the animal away.
- Video circulating online shows the leopard near the prone skier and later the woman being helped off the snow; she is hospitalized in stable condition.
- Authorities had issued earlier warnings after sightings and have since intensified patrols, protective measures and public-awareness efforts, urging visitors to keep distance and report wildlife.
- Snow leopards are protected and elusive, with an estimated 4,000–6,500 worldwide and roughly 60% of their range in China, and attacks on people are considered extremely rare.