VIDEO: Snow leopard mauls skier who got within 10 feet of the beast for a photo in China

A female skier was mauled by a leopard after she got too close for a photo, coming within 10 feet of the beast in Fuyun County in China. Chilling footage of the incident shows the woman’s face severely bloodied. Jam Press reported that the incident occurred around 7 pm along China’s northern border with Mongolia. Videos of the attack show the woman lying unconscious and covered in blood. After viciously attacking the woman, the leopard hovered around for a bit. After the animal left, those around came to the woman's rescue. According to local reports, even as blood poured from the woman's face, she survived the attack. Her helmet seems to have saved her from fatal injuries. Several people in the area had reported seeing animals near the hotel in the past few days. It was apparently roaming around in search of food.

Woman tried taking photo of leopard

The skier was returning to the hotel when she saw the leopard. She tried to take a photo but couldn't get a good angle. She went near the animal and continued moving near it. The beast soon pounced and mauled her. A ski instructor chased the leopard away, waving his poles. The woman was taken to the nearby hospital and is in stable condition. Authorities had warned about snow leopard sightings for several days before the attack and asked people to be careful. "Recently, snow leopard activity has been detected in Gem Valley, Keketuohai," the warning said, according to Jam Press. The officials added that snow leopards are not known to attack humans since they are shy creatures, but they still have "aggressive tendencies", and so tourists were told to avoid getting too close for pictures.

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Snow leopards in China

"Snow leopards are large predators with strong aggressive tendencies. When passing through this area, please move quickly and do not linger. Do not get out of your vehicle or approach to take photos, and never walk alone in the surrounding area," it added. Those staying at a nearby guesthouse also reported seeing the leopard. "We saw it last night, a few kilometres from where the attack took place, but we can't confirm if it's the same snow leopard," one of the guests said. According to the Snow Leopard Trust, China is home to the majority of the snow leopard population in the world.