ABSOLUTLEY INCREDIBLE photo by Martin Le-May. Green Woodpecker and Weasel. Apparently the Woodpecker escaped. pic.twitter.com/PUt1b2Mbhs

— Jason Ward (@Jayward7) March 2, 2015

You need a pretty spectacular photo these days to take the internet by storm. You could genuinely get a selfie of yourself riding a wild lion and nobody would really give a shit.

What that does mean, however, is that when a snapshot does come along and go absolutely viral – and we’re talking Reddit to The Daily Mail to national TV and back again kind of viral – it’s almost always worth having a look.

“It was obvious it had a small mammal on its back and this was a struggle for life…”

That certainly stands true for the latest addition to the “break the internet” family; this crazy photo of a weasel flying on the back of a woodpecker.

The shot was taken by amateur photographer Martin Le-May in Hornchurch Country Park after the weasel jumped onto the woodpecker, apparently searching for a bite to eat.

The little guy must have an ego like Kanye West’s to think he could’ve taken down a bird at least twice the size of him, but the cherry on top of this photograph has got to be the horrified look in the woodpecker’s eye. The dude is as dumbstruck as we are at the whole scenario.

Stoatlily amazing: Woodpecker escapes predation attempt by weasel. Apparently not a hoax. Photo: Martin Le May pic.twitter.com/uiAEUjEmmk

— Prof Brendan Godley (@BrendanGodley) March 3, 2015

Speaking to ITV News, Le-May admitted the incredible incident was rather obscure, and bizarrely seems to have claimed the credit for saving the woodpecker’s life…

“As we walked we heard a distressed squawking and I saw that flash of green,” he said. “[Me and my wife] trained our binoculars and it occurred that the woodpecker was unnaturally hopping about like it was treading on a hot surface.

“Lots of wing flapping showing that gloriously yellow/white colour interspersed with the flash of red head feathers. Just after I switched from my binoculars to my camera the bird flew across us and slightly in our direction; suddenly it was obvious it had a small mammal on its back and this was a struggle for life.

Our guess? The weasel was probably just searching for his next hit of adrenaline…

“The woodpecker landed in front of us and I feared the worst. I guess though our presence, maybe 25 metres away, momentarily distracted the weasel. The woodpecker seized the opportunity and flew up and away into some bushes.”

So, in summary, Mr. Le-May reckons that he saved the woodpecker’s life just by standing there. He’s now rumoured to be holding the bird as a servant for as long as it takes for him to repay the life debt.

Our guess? The weasel was probably just searching for his next hit of adrenaline. You know how those little guys love a good skydive.

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