.png)
A butcher in China has been thwarted by a pig he was trying to kill.
The animal foiled the 61-year-old man's plans to turn him into pork chops when it woke up and knocked the butcher over, according to CNN.
The news outlet says the man had already shot the pig with a stun gun at Hong Kong's Sheung Shui Slaughterhouse and was about to deliver is coup de gras when the animal regained consciousness.
Advert
The frantic pig apparently panicked and bowled the 61-year-old over, who was holding a 40-centimetre-long meat cleaver, causing him to impale himself on the massive blade.
Talk about instant karma.
Another worker from the abattoir on the northern outskirts of Hong Kong found the man unconscious.
Advert
Police said he was found knocked out with a massive gash to his left foot and was rushed to hospital, where he later died.
Despite his cause of death likely being due to pig shenanigans, an investigation will be carried out to get a better picture of what happened in the lead up to the pig's reckoning.
The city’s Labour Department told CNN it has launched an investigation.
"The Labour Department is saddened by the death of the person and expresses its deepest sympathy to his family," it said in a statement.
Advert
"We will complete the investigation as soon as possible to identify the cause of the accident, ascertain the liability of the duty holders and recommend improvement measures."
A spokesperson added: "We will take actions pursuant to the law if there is any violation of the work safety legislation."
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, which manages the city's slaughterhouses, also offered its sincere condolences to the man’s family.
Advert
The city’s Food and Environmental Hygiene Department — which manages slaughterhouses — said it was “very concerned about the work accident”.
"The department expressed its deepest condolences to the deceased’s family and has requested the contractor to provide all necessary assistance to his family," the department said.
"The slaughtering service remains normal and the supply of fresh meat is not affected."
As for the pig, it is not clear if it managed to flee the scene in the wake of its hooliganism.
Advert
But, fair is fair, so we hope it was allowed to live after besting the pig equivalent to the final boss in a video game.
So we're going to imagine that pig living a long, happy, successful life in the wake of its near-death experience.
Or it could have been turned into bacon shortly after the man's death.
Rachel Lang