Wild Video Shows A Snow Leopard Attacking A Tourist Skiing In China

A skier in Northwest China got way more than they bargained for on Friday night when a snow leopard suddenly attacked in Xinjiang’s Fuyun County. Yes, a real snow leopard. In real life. While skiing.

The incident went down around 7 PM on January 23 in Talat village, Koktokay Township—a popular winter sports spot. According to authorities, the tourist was heading back to their hotel when the massive cat leapt out of a roadside forest belt and went for them.

Videos from the scene are both terrifying and surreal. One clip shows the skier in a purple outfit lying in the snow while the snow leopard stalks nearby like it owns the place. Other footage captures people rushing in to help, with visible blood on the tourist’s face.

Luckily, the skier survived and is now in stable condition after treatment at a local hospital. But for anyone watching the videos online, it’s hard not to shiver at how close it came.

While this might sound like something straight out of a wildlife documentary, attacks by snow leopards are extremely rare—they usually avoid humans at all costs. But Xinjiang is home to one of the largest snow leopard populations in the world. According to the Snow Leopard Trust, China has more wild snow leopards than any other country, containing over half of the planet’s potential habitat for the species.

Experts aren’t sure what triggered the attack—maybe the animal was hungry, maybe it felt cornered—but one thing is clear: skiing in Xinjiang just got a whole lot more intense.

If you were planning a ski trip in this region, consider this your official warning: beautiful mountains, incredible views, and… a chance you might meet a snow leopard up close.