An endangered black panther strolled along a forest road in front of a passing tourist's car in Thailand.

The big cat, also known as the Indochinese leopard, was alone and walking on the edge of the dirt path in Phetchaburi province when the motorists found it on January 10.

Footage shows the black panther wandering along the path as the national park visitors slowly drove 50ft behind it.

It sparked amused laughter among the onlookers when it suddenly rolled over to the middle of the road and rested like it was a pet cat.

Onlooker Nuttawadee Hongthong said: 'The black panther was there for a long time, about seven minutes before it disappeared back to the forest.'

According to park officials, the black panther had been spotted in the area before since the park was opened for tourists.

Nuttawadee said: ‘We felt so lucky because we were the first to see the black panther again this year.'

Black panther in Thailand is a melanistic colour variant of the Indochinese leopard. Their population is estimated to be around 200-250 individuals, making them critically endangered within the country.

In 2022, there were two confirmed sightings of a black panther mother and her cub in Kaeng Krachan National Park. This sparked hope for the potential comeback of the black panther population in the country.