Photo of Weasel Riding Woodpecker Goes Viral, May Be Misunderstood

The photo below does not depict just any friendship. Quite the opposite, in fact.

The image was taken by photographer Martin Le-May while he and his wife were strolling Hornchurch Country Park in East London on Monday. it quickly went viral because, let’s face it, the picture is pretty darn cool.

It's a weasel flying around on the back of a woodpecker!
But not because the four-legged rodent is suddenly best pals with the bird.
Le-May told The Huffington Post UK that the bird was thrashing about when they first noticed, almost definitely because the weasel was trying to eat it!

"The woodpecker landed in front of us and I feared the worst," Le-May said. "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 away to our left. Quickly the bird gathered its self respect and flew up into the trees and away from our sight. The woodpecker left with its life, the weasel just disappeared into the long grass, hungry."

Wildlife expert Lucy Cooke confirms to the BBC that weasels are “fearless” predators, adding:
"A female weasel weighs less than a Mars Bar but is as ferocious as a lion, so this is why the woodpecker would have been able to take off with it on its back."

Still... hey. Cool photo!