Strange animal behaviour? Weasel attacks heron in Kent, UK

© SWNS/Jonathan Forgham

'Excuse me sir, please let go of my beak’

The world went crazy for a weasel riding a woodpecker last week, but it seems not all weasel/bird relationships are as harmonious as that one.

One weasel received a much colder reception when he tried to jump on and attack the beak of a heron, which ended up eating the furry little rodent for dinner.

First the understandably annoyed heron grabbed the angry weasel in it's beak before dunking him in the water several times, drowning him.

After making sure his nemesis was dead the bird swallowed him in one mouthful.

Bird watcher Jonathan Forgham captured the horrifying moment in the Elmley Mature Reserve in Kent.

© SWNS/Jonathan Forgham

‘OK. Now I’m getting angry.’

© SWNS/Jonathan Forgham

He said: 'The heron wasn't trying to eat it, it was just trying to get rid of it. But the weasel attacked its beak again and the heron picked it up and flew off to the pond.

'I drove the car round there in time to see the heron try to drown the weasel. It lifted it out of the water and then dunked it again to make sure it was dead.

'When the weasel was quite motionless the heron swallowed it. Afterwards it didn't do much, it just stood there looking quite smug.'

Jonathan admitted that the weasel was fighting a losing battle from the outset, but said they are 'aggressive, never give up and fight to the death'.

Clearly.

We think it's about time ambassadors from the both the weasel and avian kingdoms meet to try and rebuild the peaceful and mutually beneficial relationship the two species once had.

© Martin LeMay

Of course in reality the weasel was trying to kill the woodpecker

But hey, even if weasels and birds don't get along most of the time, that one precious moment when they did has now been immortalised in the most British way possible - with a sign.

The amazing photo has brought such a massive amount of attention to the Hornchurch Country Park in Essex where it was taken that someone has decided to remind all visitors to that park that they walk upon sacred ground.

Of course, the sign wasn't put up by the council, and is thought to have been placed by a prankster who wants to park to become listed as a 'historical site' due to the picture.

© Julia Kenny

Never forget