A snow leopard has left a tourist at a popular Xinjiang ski destination who wanted to take close-up photos of the animal with severe wounds to her face, according to local media reports on Saturday (Jan 24).

A woman hitting the slopes in Fuyun County, northern China, is said to have got within 10ft of the animal in a bid to get the best angle before it attacked.

China.com reported that earlier snow leopard sightings in the Baoshigou area on Jan 17 and 21 had led the authorities to advise tourists to remain in vehicles, avoid approaching the animals and not walk alone. The area lies along the main route to the Koktokay International Ski Resort.

The endangered big cats are hanging on in Russia, the first country-wide survey of the animal suggests, while scientists and conservationists debate future protections.

Local authorities in Fuyun County, Altay Prefecture, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, said in a statement on Friday that a skiing tourist was injured in a snow leopard attack while returning to a hotel on Friday evening.

Cold warnings continue to blanket the province, and zoo manager Jeff Mitchell says all of the animals have indoor habitats they can escape to if they don't adapt well to Saskatchewan's winter.