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#WeaselPecker soars to viral success

The Internet gets its grimy hands on a spectacular photo of a weasel trying to assault a European green woodpecker

(Martin Le-May)

(Martin Le-May)

Yep, this is real life. A lucky and skilled British photographer managed to snap a stunning shot of a European green woodpecker in mid-flight—bug-eyed and desperately trying to escape the clutches of a weasel, who had snuck up on it in a park in east London, and is now clinging on for dear life.

As the photographer, Martin Le-May, told Slate, “the pair got about 10 feet off the ground before landing again, where the bird managed to free itself of the weasel and fly off, both creatures apparently unharmed.” The BBC’s wildlife expert, Lucy Cooke, called it “a truly extraordinary thing to have captured,” remarking on how odd it was for a ground-feeding weasel to try its hand at preying on a bird.

Enter, of course, the Internet.

 

 

Some noted that this was, essentially, a live-action harkening-back to toons from their youth:

And, inspired by the photo, others still showcased their own amazing wildlife “shots.”

 

 

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