Snow leopard attacks skier trying to take photo

Fahad Redha

January 29, 2026
3 min read

Snow leopard attacks skier trying to take photo

A skier in China has been attacked by a snow leopard after she reportedly tried to take a photo of the animal. The attack, a rare incident, took place in Keketuohai Scenic Area in Altay prefecture, a popular winter tourist destination, according to Chinese media and CNN. Footage shared on Chinese social media shows the snow leopard in a snowfield, before cutting to the predator approaching a person lying on the ground.

According to CNN, the skier was bitten while returning to her hotel. Bystanders can be seen in the video helping the woman get t safety as she holds her face, obscured by a ski helmet. The woman was hospitalised and is in a stable condition, Australia’s ABC reports.

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China has the largest population of wild snow leopards in the world, sharing a border with nine other countries where they can be found. Snow leopards are known to live in Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan

According to conservation organisations, there has been no verified report of a snow leopard attack on a human before. If they see people, they tend to run away.

Snow Leopard Trust, a conservation charity, says the cats are shy and elusive, being solitary in nature. While they are not considered a threat to people, they are capable of taking down animals double or even quadruple their weight. They are mainly active at dusk or dawn, often patrolling their territory which can stretch hundreds of square kilometres.

While exact figures are not known, it is believed that there are fewer than 4,000 of the big cats worldwide.

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