A terrifying image shows a tiger seconds before it mauled a man to death (Image: AFP/Getty Images)
Terrifying images of people next to huge animals seconds before they’re attacked have resurfaced after yet another incident.
Last week, a skier was brutally attacked by a snow leopard after posing for pictures with it. posing alongside a snow leopard just moments before she suffered a vicious assault. The picture shows a skier beaming cheerfully beside the wild creature on the pistes of Koktokay in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
However, within seconds of the shot being taken, the leopard pounced in a savage attack, clawing at her face and narrowly missing her skull with its razor-sharp teeth.
Blood from her injuries also streamed onto her purple ski outfit, which appeared heavily stained crimson as she was transported to hospital. Medical staff later confirmed the woman had avoided life-threatening harm from the assault and remained in a stable condition.
People aren’t always so fortunate when venturing close to nature’s apex predators. Here, we examine disturbing photographs of beasts captured just before they fatally struck their human victims.
The woman taking a selfie with the leopard (Image: X)
Tiger obsession
Maqsood Khan, 22, harboured an “obsession with tigers” and after scaling into a white tiger’s enclosure at New Delhi Zoo in 2014, he predictably met a tragic fate.
Once inside, he caught the attention of Vijay, an endangered tiger, whilst horrified spectators recorded the unfolding nightmare. Maqsood was grabbed by the throat and hauled back to the animal’s den where the young man’s destiny was determined.
A witness described hearing screams before discovering the man “writhing badly in pain” while trapped within the tiger’s jaws. His mangled remains were not retrieved for two hours until the tiger was eventually lured into a small cage.
The government subsequently held Maqsood responsible for the “misadventure” saying he chose to disregard warnings before entering the enclosure.
Photo before death
Charles Gibbs, 40, possessed an enormous passion for bears, and in April 1987, he embarked on a mission to capture the perfect photograph that would ultimately claim his life.
He was exploring the Glacier National Park in Montana when he took pictures of bears in the distance.
However, after taking another photo, this time closer at just 50 yards away from the animals, it showed the female grizzly bear and her three cubs charging towards him, in what became an eerie shot.
Several bears were seen slowly approaching Charles before mauling him (Image: YouTube/MrBallen)
In panic, Charles fled down the mountain and climbed a tree before the mother bear reportedly dragged him down. He was then bitten and clawed.
Despite momentarily escaping, the bear attacked again, and killed him.
He was hiking Elk Mountain with his wife Glenda when the tragedy occurred.
After his body was discovered, assistant park superintendent Alan O’Neill said that Charles “knew what he was getting into” and added: “The human in this case was the intruder.”
At the time of his death, Charles carried a gun, but his wife said he would not have harmed the bear in such a way.
Safari slaughter
In 2016, another deadly animal attack involving a tiger took place, this time at the Badaline Wildlife Park in Beijing.
Chinese woman Mrs Zhao exited her vehicle to save her daughter, Mei, who had encountered a Siberian tiger after violating car regulations by departing the vehicle following a family dispute.
This screengrab shows the moment a tiger attacked a woman at a safari (Image: Supplied)
Mei was hauled into the bushes by the tiger as her mother rushed out to assist.
What unfolded next was recorded on disturbing CCTV footage. Her mother and husband were observed hurrying to help when a tiger attacked.
Nevertheless, Mrs Zhao suffered a brutal fate at the claws of a second tiger concealed nearby.
The wildlife park was closed for investigation but reopened after being cleared of wrongdoing, despite the victim’s relatives pursuing legal proceedings.
Chilling audio
A pair, who frequently appeared in now eerie photographs with bears, had their terrifying final moments recorded on audio.
Timothy Treadwell, who dubbed himself ‘Grizzle Man’, and Amie Huguenard were in the Alaskan wilderness in October 2003 when they were devoured alive by a bear.
Grizzy Man was a film about Timothy Treadwell (Image: Lionsgate)
Grizzle Man captured his last moments on video camera unknowingly and was heard screaming: “Get out! I’m getting killed out here!”.
He had spent 13 summers camping alongside wild brown bears in Alaska. In the haunting recording, his terrified girlfriend screamed “play dead” after emerging from their tent to aid him.
The bear released him momentarily, but then pulled him away, as Timothy implored her to “hit the bear”. His partner wielded a frying pan before her blood-curdling screams echoed out moments before the camera ceased recording.
The pair were consumed and Timothy’s head was discovered in the vicinity.
Following its subsequent shooting, human remains enough to fill four bin bags were recovered from within its stomach.
