"The Weasel and the Woodpecker" can be the new name of the next English classic fantasy tale to follow the likes of Harry Potter and Brer Rabbit.

The once-in-a-million snap captured by amateur photographer Martin Le-May has featured a classic fight between the hungry and the hunted.

The shot of hungry weasel riding on the back of a woodpecker was taken at Hornchurch Country Park in east London. The park is a pristine, peaceful, green, 105-hectare space in the London Borough of Havering, east of London.

The photograph has been circulated at a very fast pace on the internet, since posted on Tuesday.

Mr. Le-May told the Daily Mail that he was in the park with his wife when he suddenly spotted a green woodpecker making a squawking noise.

When the woodpecker flew towards him, he noticed that there was a "stoat or weasel" on its back, seemed to make a meal of the bird. He immediately took several shots of the unusual sight.

On Twitter, Mr. Le-May said, "The woodpecker just managed to escape and the weasel disappeared into the long grass, hungry". He was the one who posted the photograph on Twitter, though his original posting no longer carries that photo.

The shot of gallant woodpecker fending off a hungry weasel has caused a stir among the environment enthusiasts and has also inspired a series of memes.

The British Wildlife Centre said that the weasels are commonly found all over Britain and the woodpecker exists in most of Wales and England.

Last year, a photograph featuring a frog riding on a crocodile was posted online and it got a plenty of air time on the internet.