What would impress women during a visit to the zoo?

According to a Chinese man, climbing into a giant panda enclosure would do the trick, as he sought to impress his two women companions, reported the South China Morning Post.

The unnamed man, aged about 20, had a lucky escape after he was grabbed and knocked to the ground by the giant panda, according to reports in China.

He was left unharmed but his trousers were torn to shreds in the incident at Nanchang Zoo, in Nanchang, Jiangxi province on Thursday (Oct 27).

The incident was captured on video and posted online by another tourist, Jiangxi Television reported.

The zoo manager said in the report that the man was lucky that Mei Ling, a 12-year-old male giant panda weighing 120kg, was playful at the time or the man might have been seriously hurt.

Giant pandas might appear cute and timid, but they could turn dangerous if agitated and cause serious injuries with their jaws and sharp claws, the manager added.

The man had leapt over a 1.3 metre-high perimeter fence and jumped across a three-metre-deep ditch to access the enclosure, according to the report.

The panda appeared to be sleeping at first but when the man stepped closer and tried to touch its head, it jumped up swiftly and grabbed his legs, knocking him to the ground. The panda then grappled him to the ground as he frantically tried to free himself.

After about a minute, the panda loosened its grip and the man managed to escape unharmed.

According to the zoo manager, giant pandas often supplement their traditional bamboo leaves diet with small animals such as rabbits or rodents, and even the zookeepers do not enter the enclosures.

The zoo said the man left the park without informing them of the incident.

Staff did not find any blood stains inside the enclosure and a medical examination verified that Mei Ling was not harmed during the incident.