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.
Gigantic 100ft waves create the perfect playground for dare-devil surfers from across the world .
A pair of snarling foxes go paw-to-paw and brawl after unexpectedly crossing paths .
This frozen lighthouse in Michigan could easily be mistaken for a still from the snow swept disaster movie The Day After Tomorrow .
A BIKINI swim with jellyfish sounds like the most painful past-time on the planet .
WIDE EYED and staring straight down the lens of the camera, this intrigued seal is ready for his close up .
CLIMBING, falling and tugging on his weary mum, this little orangutan is up to all kinds of trouble .
FROM THE world famous Girl with a Pearl Earring painting to a jaguar in the grass, these incredible drawings are created from coloured ballpoint pens .
PRANKSTER Dom Joly was so livid when he was slapped with a parking ticket that he took to Twitter to vent his anger – only to discover he was the victim of his own gag! The comic got a taste of his own medicine when he was tricked by a fellow joker for the first time in a decade .
PICKING up a tiny tea-pot with its paws, a little red squirrel struggles to prepare its morning tea .
With blue waves tumbling over them, these surfers glide underneath a tunnel of water .
BREATHING life back into old photographs, these black and white images are transformed by colour .
MOUTH OPEN wide, this little stoat appears to be in mid-song as he belts out a tune for his onlookers .