The remarkable shot was taken yesterday by Martin Le-May while he was walking with his wife through Hornchurch Country Park in Havering, London .

The pair heard “distressed squawking” before witnessing the woodpecker’s “struggle for life” as the weasel clung to its back.

The amateur photographer from Essex told ITV that he “feared the worst” for the bird, which appeared to be “unnaturally hopping about like it was treading on a hot surface” before it flew in their direction.

The colourful bird eventually landed about 25 metres from the couple.



Photo by Martin Le-May

"I guess our presence... momentarily distracted the weasel," said Mr Le-May. "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."

Photo by Martin Le-May

Mr Le-May says he did not know how remarkable his pictures were of a weasel on a woodpecker's back, until he downloaded them at home.

"I flicked through the photographs when I got indoors and suddenly I came across this image of a weasel clinging on to the back of the woodpecker.

"Then I realised that this was something special."

The incredible image has been a huge hit on social media, with the hashtag #weaselpecker trending on Twitter. One user, Jason Ward, posted the image on the website last night - it has since received more than 7,000 retweets.

ABSOLUTLEY INCREDIBLE photo by Martin Le-May. Green Woodpecker and Weasel. Apparently the Woodpecker escaped. pic.twitter.com/PUt1b2Mbhs — Jason Ward (@Jayward7) March 2, 2015

Another even Photoshopped Vladimir Putin on top of the weasel, to the delight of many.

If you've heard about the #WeaselPecker, you'll be pleased to see that someone has added Putin. (h/t to @sklueche) pic.twitter.com/CJ5O4tCG6h — The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) March 3, 2015

FLY, MY TINY GREEN STEED! FLY! RT @itvnews: Photo of woodpecker flying with weasel on its back http://t.co/k6aCVGadfT pic.twitter.com/DkIEN7gBCi — Bethan C (@drop_of_indigo) March 2, 2015

The only way to travel in Essex! “@itvnews: woodpecker flies with weasel on its back in park https://t.co/2uujki1Y5H pic.twitter.com/ENmPSUcGog” — David Hobbs (@DavidHobbsDH) March 2, 2015

@itvnews @rachelblah Weasel on your back holding you down, sounds like Mon-Fri 9-5 to me! — Louis Wynne (@louis1981uk) March 2, 2015

The weasel is not the first animal to take a ride on the back of another creature.

This baby turtle hitching a ride on a bullfrog in the forests of Batam, Indonesia, is one of 16 funny photos of lazy hitchiking animals: