First we had #TheDress, this week its #WesealPecker, the astonishing image captured in the UK of a weasel riding a woodpecker through skies Hornchurch country park in Essex.
Amateur photographer Martin Le-May, who took the photograph that has since gone viral online and threatens to ‘break the internet’, told local reporters he didn’t realise ‘how special’ the images where until he took a closer look when he got home.
In the picture the vividly ‘wide-eyed bird’ is shown with the little stowaway on it’s back.
Le-May was at the park hoping to show his wife Ann a green woodpecker.
But, after hearing “distressed squawking”, he spotted the bird with the small mammal on its back, and took a series of photographs as the startled pair flew past.
According to him, when the bird landed near him the weasel became distracted and the woodpecker seized its opportunity, “gathered its self-respect and flew up into the trees and away from our sight”.
Le-May said: “The woodpecker left with its life, the weasel just disappeared into the long grass, hungry.”
Of course, the twittersphere was quick to spot the vast ‘meme-potential’ of the photograph, and the hashtag #WeaselPecker has now gone viral. Take a look at some of our most favourite #WeaselPecker memes below:
We happen to know what the weasel and woodpecker were fleeing from. #WeaselPecker pic.twitter.com/u27NjWOJkA
We happen to know what the weasel and woodpecker were fleeing from. #WeaselPecker pic.twitter.com/u27NjWOJkA
— Ubisoft Canada (@UbisoftCanada) March 3, 2015
“Stella’s new ride” #WeaselPecker pic.twitter.com/ffoX7HhLtt — BubbleWitchSaga (@BubbleWitchSaga) March 3, 2015
For the win!! #weaselpecker RT @echo4h: pic.twitter.com/cpqRz1IfNy — Sharon Stiteler (@birdchick) March 3, 2015
Amazing photo of little man riding a pigeon. Apparently the pigeon escaped. #weaselpecker pic.twitter.com/e6qQI0nGTY — Tim O (@SittingByTheSea) March 3, 2015
@sheeraf @Laradio Putin<Weasel<Woodpecker chased by Stormtrooper. pic.twitter.com/bEsxl690Pm — Marcel Steeman (@msteeman) March 3, 2015
To infinity and beyond…. #WeaselPecker pic.twitter.com/0wyIFKEKGq — Elliot Wagland (@elliotwagland) March 3, 2015
John Travolta is all over the weasel and the woodpecker pic.twitter.com/HMxoDInWbh — Elliot Wagland (@elliotwagland) March 3, 2015
But it’s not the first time such an astonishing animal piggy-back ride has been captured on camera before, as the following tweets proved:
A mouse hitching a ride to escape monsoon flooding in India (National Geographic) pic.twitter.com/raDbvhRQVA — Deborah (@honeybeeandhare) December 23, 2014
MT @seasaver seems everyone is hitching a ride on other species today. This time an amorous frog! #weaselpecker pic.twitter.com/Z8VQVOLEf4 — BBO Wildlife Trust (@BBOWT) March 3, 2015
A kiss before hitching a ride..then the frog realized he needs to hop it alone. pic.twitter.com/y7g9My82iL — Mohan Nayak (@Mohaniya88) January 5, 2015
