A lucky motorist driving up a mountain road experienced a rare encounter after spotting a wild panda ducking into the bushes by the roadside.

Mr Xue said he and his family were driving up the Dawashan National Wetland Park in Leshan, in Sichuan Province, when they spotted the panda seemingly out on an afternoon stroll in Chengdu, in south-western China, on December 30.

They were so delighted by the sight of the black-and-white bear casually walking beside the road that they became speechless, Mr Xue said.

He managed to capture a short clip of the animal calmly entering the mountain shrubbery and later disappearing into the bamboo grove as their vehicle approached.

According to local staff, Dawashan National Wetland Park has lush vegetation and is covered with thick forests.

Wild animals such as giant pandas, red pandas, and black bears occasionally come to the roadside where they are encountered by tourists.

The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is a distinctive bear species native to the mountainous bamboo forests of central China.

Known for its black and white fur pattern, pandas are herbivores, primarily feeding on bamboo shoots and leaves.

They have a large, round face with black patches around their eyes and ears, giving them their unique and widely recognisable appearance.

It is currently listed as 'vulnerable' on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.