Though this looks like it could be a fantastic animal rendition of Jasmine’s magic carpet ride from Disney’s classic Aladdin, the photo is real and the truth behind it is somewhat more sinister. Martin Le-May, a hobby photographer in East London, took these photos of a woodpecker and a baby weasel fighting for their lives over Hornchurch Country Park.

According to Le-May, he was walking in the park with his wife when they heard, and then saw, the fight unfold. When the bird flew right across them, they could see it had a small mammal on its back – and that’s when he snapped these pictures.

Weasels love to rob nests, but this one was probably after the woodpecker itself. In any case, he seems to have been foiled for now. As Le-May wrote, “The woodpecker left with its life. The weasel just disappeared into the long grass, hungry.“

More info: businessinsider

What at first might seem like a magical woodpecker ride…

…was actually a dirty and terrifying battle for survival!

After the woodpecker landed, they fought and then the weasel fled

“The woodpecker left with its life. The weasel just disappeared into the long grass, hungry”