Essex man, Martin Le-May knew he had captured a once in a lifetime image, he just didn’t know it would spark a viral meme.
On a casual walk with his wife at the Hornchurch Country Park in east London, Le-May took a photograph of a weasel catching a ride on the back of a woodpecker. He told the BBC he had no idea the photo would go viral.
ABSOLUTLEY INCREDIBLE photo by Martin Le-May. Green Woodpecker and Weasel. Apparently the Woodpecker escaped. pic.twitter.com/PUt1b2Mbhs
— Jay Ward (@Jayward7) March 2, 2015
“I’m so proud so many people are getting to see my image. I’m totally taken aback by the response to it. I heard a distressed squawking noise and feared the worst. I soon realised it was a woodpecker with some kind of small mammal on its back.”
While some immediately questioned the validity of the photo, wildlife experts say there is no reason to doubt the photo, even though it is rare that a weasel would get on the back of a woodpecker.
The woodpecker can hold 850 times its body weight and the weasel is a very light creature. These facts make the photo completely feasible.
The photo is now circulating social media and has been the inspiration behind many hilarious memes. The original photo has been retweeted thousands of times, but it is the memes that are going viral.
Travolta knows … #WeaselPecker pic.twitter.com/ZZzXx79fb0
— AngryBritain.com (@AngryBritain) March 3, 2015
I came in like a #WeaselPecker pic.twitter.com/9pkVciT9t4
— The Poke (@ThePoke) March 3, 2015
— Marc (@MarcSnetiker) March 3, 2015
To infinity and beyond….#WeaselPecker pic.twitter.com/0wyIFKEKGq
— Elliot Wagland (@elliotwagland) March 3, 2015
0 Comments