An Oscar for this guy: In China, a lamb came up with the perfect strategy to avoid being sold (3 photos + 1 video)
In the animal kingdom, it's survival of the fittest, but in China's Ningxia province, one lamb changed the game. It proved that a little artistry can save a life more than fast legs. 
It all started at an ordinary livestock market in Pingluo County. Farmer Jin Xiaolin brought a batch of lambs for sale. Buyers quickly snapped up the live goods, but one lamb stubbornly remained in its pen. As soon as a potential owner approached and extended his hand to check its condition, the lamb... "died."
He would fall on his side, stretch out his hooves, and freeze, showing no signs of life. Puzzled customers would shake their heads: "He's probably sick," and move on to the next stall. But as soon as they were out of sight, the "patient" would briskly jump up and continue munching hay with the utmost composure. 
The most surprising thing about this story is the lamb's selectivity. It turns out he's not at all afraid of people. The little one happily jumps and plays with children, allowing them to pet him. But as soon as an adult appears with a serious expression (and the lamb apparently unmistakably recognizes him as a customer), a one-man show begins.
Videos of these "fainting" scenes instantly went viral on Chinese social media, garnering over 10 million views. Commenters joke that the lamb simply realized its role in the food chain too early and decided to officially retire from the deli meat industry.
The fame paid off. The farmer was offered an incredible 130,000 yuan for the "artist," quite a considerable sum for a rural area. However, Jin Xiaolin flatly refused to sell his sly little fellow.
"He's no longer just livestock; he's a person." "I can't sell him because he tried so hard to stay home," the farmer says.
Today, the lamb, nicknamed Yanrouchuan ("Little Skewer"), has its own well-appointed house. It has become a local landmark, attracting tourists.
