Skier mauled by wild snow leopard & left with blood pouring from her face after moving closer to take photo of beast

A SKIER has been mauled by a snow leopard and left with blood pouring from her face after trying to take a picture with the savage animal.

Terrifying footage shows the woman laying motionless in the snow with the leopard sat next to her just moments after the brutal attack.

The tourist was on her way back to her hotel in the resort town of Koktokay, in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China, when she spotted the wild big cat in a nearby wooded area.

A group of onlookers soon arrived to get a close look at the beautiful but deadly animal.

By this point, the foolish woman decided to move closer as witnesses said she appeared to take her phone out for a picture.

After around 10 minutes of her gradually edging towards the leopard, it suddenly lunged at her.

It mauled at her face and even bit down on her skull with its sharp jaws, those watching on revealed.

Onlookers were left fearing the woman could have been killed as horrifying footage showed her lifeless on the ground.

Her thick ski helmet appeared to save her from a deadly fate.

There has never been a recorded human death due to a snow leopard attack.

The animal was sat next to the woman as her head bled into the snow.

A ski instructor eventually chased away the cat by waving his poles around.

Shocked bystanders were then able to rush over to the woman and drag her to safety.

Her purple ski suit was now stained a crimson red with her hands covering up her bloodied face as she was rushed to hospital.

Doctors at Fuyun County People’s Hospital miraculously confirmed the victim’s condition was stable and not life-threatening.

Authorities said that snow leopard activity had been repeatedly detected in the area in the days before the attack.

Several safety warnings had been repeatedly directed at tourists in the areas, they added.

The warning stated: “Recently, snow leopard activity has been detected in Gem Valley, Keketuohai.

“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.”

Local authorities said rescue measures were launched immediately after the mauling.

Local forestry, police and township officials have since increased patrols and are urging tourists to avoid stopping near to dangerous wildlife and to never approach or film the animals from up close.

China is home to around 60 per cent of the world’s snow leopard population.

They are a nationally protected species in China and are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

But they very rarely attack humans unprovoked as are typically seen as the least aggressive of all the big cats.