One man in Singapore was lucky enough to spot a pangolin.

Not just once, but twice in two weeks.

Zheng Lee had been jogging late at night on Mar. 11 when he stumbled across the rare creature on the pavement.

Lee shared with Mothership that he initially believed it to be some other animal, but realised it was a pangolin upon approach.

The pangolin then started heading in the direction of the forest. Lee explained he waited for it to reach the forest before continuing on his way.

Lee had chosen not to disclose the location of his sighting to prevent potential poaching attempts of the endangered animal.

Second encounter

Nine days later on Mar. 20, Lee once again had a rather serendipitous encounter with a pangolin at night, he shared in a Facebook post.

This time, he had spotted it inside a carpark.

It was also much smaller than the previous one he encountered, he told Mothership.

The pangolin was "very active and not shy", and had been energetically attempting to climb a pipe on the wall.

You can watch Lee's video of the rather spirited critter below.

The pangolin eventually climbed the pipe and onto the path above, which led to the main road.

Afraid it would get involved in an accident with a vehicle, Lee followed it up and tried to prevent it from crossing the road.

The pangolin however, wasn't deterred, and did not seem scared of Lee's human presence either.

He said that he had to keep using his leg to block its path and shepherd it back into the bushes.

"Just like a kid [that] you don’t allow them go that side and they [get] more aggressive to go that direction," he joked.

Considering how rare and endangered pangolins — a native species — are, Lee's second encounter is made even more precious.

Singapore is known to be a hub for illegal wildlife trade, with numerous shipments of pangolin scales and elephant ivory having been seized in previous years.

Rescued by NParks

Worried about the creature's safety, Lee eventually called the National Parks Board (NParks) in the wee hours of Mar. 21.

While waiting for officers from the Animal Response Centre to arrive, Lee stood by and kept an eye on the pangolin.

NParks told Mothership that the pangolin was then rescued and taken back the centre for a health assessment.

The tiny one was found in healthy and in good condition, and was subsequently released back into its natural habitat.

NParks reminds people not to approach wild animals that they encounter.

Motorists are urged to drive within the speed limits and be alert to the presence of wild animals when driving near forested areas.

Members of public who find injured, distressed or trapped wildlife are advised to call the Animal Response Centre at 1800-476-1600 or contact them at www.avs.gov.sg/feedback.

Top photo courtesy of Zheng Lee