A black panther died after being hit by a car in the Malaysian town of Simpang Pertang on Saturday afternoon.

Jelebu district police chief Maslan Udin said the multi-purpose vehicle was driven by a 38-year-old man who was with his family, reported news agency Bernama.

The adult male panther, weighing about 40kg, “suddenly came out from the right side of the road” and the driver was unable to avoid it, Deputy Superintendent Maslan added.

“The panther managed to make its way to a nearby drain about 4m away and eventually died. The man and his family did not suffer any injuries,” he said.

The carcass was later taken by the Negeri Sembilan Wildlife Protection and National Parks Department.

Videos of the incident posted on Twitter by Jabatan Netizen Malaysia had been viewed more than 780,000 times as at Sunday morning. In one clip, the panther can be seen limping along a busy road.

Other videos show the animal lying motionless on the road as cars drive by. Its body is also seen in a drain next to the road.

According to Panthera, an organisation advocating the conservation of wild cats, the Malay peninsula has the largest population of black panthers in the world. The animal can typically be found in rainforests.