Martin Le-May went for a walk with his wife in a park in Essex, London, on March 2, 2015. He wasn’t expecting to see anything special. Then he heard a commotion on the ground: a weasel had attacked a woodpecker and had it cornered in the grass. 🐦
What happened next was beyond anything anyone could have imagined: the bird suddenly took off with the predator still clinging to its back, crossing the air in an image that looks like something out of a movie. Martin managed to snap his camera. The photo he captured went viral within hours and spread around the world, generating thousands of memes. Wildlife experts confirmed that it had not been altered — it was completely real. 📸
The story has a heartening ending: Martin and his wife’s presence distracted the weasel, which let go of the woodpecker and disappeared into the bushes. The bird landed about 25 meters farther on, unharmed. Without meaning to, that couple of walkers saved the life of a bird that was flying on its own, carrying the enemy on its back. 🌿