CHENGDU - Experts have spotted a wild giant panda in a bamboo forest in Southwest China's Sichuan Province, local authorities said Monday.

During a regular investigation conducted this spring, a team of experts found the fluffy animal wandering in a nature reserve in Qingchuan County, according to the county government.

"We later realized that it was a grown wild panda," said team member Wang Jinsong. Despite the presence of humans, the chubby beast appeared "quite calm" as it slowly walked through the bamboos, said Wang.

Giant pandas are one of the world's most endangered species. About 1,600 live in the wild, mostly in the mountains of Sichuan, while more than 300 live in captivity. Sichuan is home to 74.4 percent of wild giant pandas in China.