This sad video shows the moment a man standing on a step ladder pokes a pig with a massive pole to urge it to get down from the roof where it had fled to avoid being slaughtered.

Smartphone footage recorded on a farm in the city of Lechang, in China’s northern Guandong province, depicts the plucky animal standing on the roof tiles in an attempt to save its bacon on Tuesday, 19th December.

Puzzled over how the heavy animal found its way up the slaughterhouse, a worker at the farm can be seen trying to poke the animal with a large pole while standing on a 13-foot step ladder.

But when he failed to succeed in his attempts, he stepped down and let a colleague of his give the technique a chance.

Unbothered by the workers, the pig just moved away from the pole’s reach and laid down on the tiles again in its bid for freedom.

In an interview with Chinese media, the farm owner identified only as Mr Lan. Said that the incident happened after three pigs were slaughtered at the farm.

He claimed that the fourth animal realsied it was next and found its way on a two-metre-high (6.5 feet) privy before jumping on the roof. Lan added that by the end of the day, they managed to capture it and brought it down.

The video became a massive hit after it was shared on social media platforms, with people advocating for its life.

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One user named ‘Hibiscus’ said: “Don’t kill it, let the pig go. Humans only want to satisfy their appetite, but it is a living thing!”

Then ‘Shaoke&’ commented: “What I’m wondering about is that the pig is so heavy and the tiles are so fragile.

“Usually in my hometown, the roof sometimes leaks and if someone steps on it accidentally. They will either break the tiles or their feet will fall flat.”

And ‘User vbqnf26’ added: “All kinds of creatures have the desire to survive.

“People say that dogs will jump over the wall when they are anxious. But pigs will also jump onto the house when they are feeling similarly.”

It was not disclosed whether the pig was finally butchered.