A pig saved from floodwater in China has become a social media sensation thanks to its delighted facial expression.

The lucky animal was captured apparently smiling after its bacon was saved just in the nick of time as it was dragged through water in south west China’s Sichuan Province.

It was shared on the popular Chinese social media site Weibo, with one user joking: “The men weren't saving the pig, they just wanted to eat it.”

Over on Reddit, the photos inspired an epic photoshop battle