To infinity and beyond…. #WeaselPecker pic.twitter.com/0wyIFKEKGq
— Elliot Wagland (@elliotwagland) March 3, 2015
Forget #TheDress — there's a new viral sensation sweeping the Internet, and it has to be seen to be believed. This one comes to us courtesy of Mother Nature and photographer Martin Le-May, who snapped a magnificent (and endlessly meme-worthy) shot of a weasel — wait for it — riding a woodpecker.
The image was first shared on Monday, March 2, by Twitter user @Jayward7, who credited Le-May, aka @KingYamel. "ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE photo by Martin Le-May," Ward captioned the pic. "Green Woodpecker and Weasel. Apparently the Woodpecker escaped."
That tweet was retweeted more than 9,000 times, as people quickly became obsessed with debating the authenticity of the startling shot. Le-May insists it's real — and he has additional photos of the encounter to prove it.
Slate contributor Nicholas Lund, who writes for The Birdist, reached out to Le-May for the story behind the image, which was taken in Hornchurch Country Park in East London. According to Lund, Le-May "heard distress calls from the bird…and turned to see it jumping up and down on the ground."
The bird — identified by Lund as a European green woodpecker — initially tried to take off with the weasel on its back. Le-May told Lund it got about 10 feet off the ground before landing again and freeing itself.
Not surprisingly, Twitter users had a field day with the pic. Some Photoshopped the image to show other animals (or even people) riding the weasel riding the woodpecker, while others just played around with the hashtag #WeaselPecker. See some of the best memes below!
To Mordor! Fly You Fools! #WeaselPecker pic.twitter.com/5VWZT0Wksy
— Dr Kim Shepherd (@DrKimShepherd) March 3, 2015
Left shark #weaselpecker pic.twitter.com/8dVr9TkVYv
— mitvergnuegen (@mitvergnuegen) March 3, 2015
John Travolta is all over the weasel and the woodpecker pic.twitter.com/HMxoDInWbh
— Elliot Wagland (@elliotwagland) March 3, 2015
I came in like a #WeaselPecker pic.twitter.com/9pkVciT9t4
— The Poke (@ThePoke) March 3, 2015
Didnt take long for this to happen! #WeaselPecker pic.twitter.com/ErEKsX2Lc3
— Charlie Hayes (@oxfcharlie) March 3, 2015
Everyone's jumping on this meme like a, um, weasel on a woodpecker… #RideTheWoodpecker #WeaselPecker pic.twitter.com/vjL3VZ1yT3
— Mark Kilner (@markkilner) March 3, 2015
