WITH a paw in the air and his tongue hanging from his mouth, it is clear to see that this little groundhog is struggling to wake up and leave behind the comfort of his burrow. The groundhog takes a moment to stretch before quickly becoming aware that he's not alone. The adorable scene was captured in the Tonale Pass, a high mountain pass in Trentino Alto Adige, Italy, by freelance photographer Maurizio Lancini. The 39-year-old, of Rodengo Saiano, Brescia, Italy, says:"I spotted the entrance to the burrow so decided to hide nearby and wait for the groundhog to appear.
Sam Notaro built his own flood defences to protect his four-bedroom home in Moorland, Somerset Flooding is likely to get worse around Somerset as groundwater levels continue to rise .
AN ITALIAN mechanic has created the world’s most ferocious mini-car .
LIKE A living balloon this baitball of sardines is ready to burst when threatened by a pointy nosed sailfish .
CAUSING a splash, this determined kingfisher goes hunting for dinner .
FROM MRS Patmore to Lady Sybil, these barking mad illustrations show the WOOF-er side of some of our most loved Downton characters .
SOARING at 112 miles per hour through the air, this petite blonde certainly lives up to her title as the fastest flying woman in the world .
AT first glance these images could easily be mistaken for photographs, but they are in-fact real life drawings created using nothing but coloured pencils .
An elegant snowy owl spreads her wings and glides effortlessly above the snow covered field .
Playing, splashing and generally messing around, these polar bears show they certainly have a soft spot for the water, and not just each other .
GETTING behind the camera, this monkey practices his photography skills on his friends .
Pouncing down on top of his twin brother, these two snow leopard cubs practice their kung-fu moves .