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.
Some will get up close and personal with Mother Nature’s deadliest animals to get the perfect shot, posing the question, what lengths will a photographer go to for that all important picture? But in this case, the question should be what depths .
STRIKING photos capture nature at its most raw and powerful during Earth’s most electrifying event .
A little brown bear cub shows his doting mum that she is always on parent duty as he uses her as a scratching post .
Say cheese! This cheeky chappy isn’t in the mood to live up to his scary reputation as he is pictured here cracking a killer smile as he goes about his daily business .
A small Indian monkey is seemingly gob-smacked after reading the latest stock market news .
STOOD side by side next to a busy road, these buildings were once bustling with life .
LEAPING for joy five-feet above the waves this baby whale cutie is saying HELLO to its family after being lost .
THEIR gnarling teeth at the ready, these two baboons fight it out for the last piece of fruit .
The aurora lights captured in Blair Nebraska, America - WITH electrifying purple and illuminous green brightening up the night sky, this is the rare moment a flash of 'sprite' lightening was captured on camera .
A disabled sheep is enjoying a new fleece of life after receiving a specially-designed wheelchair .
These photographs of extreme weather capture storms furiously rolling across the sky above America .
AIRPORT staff have been put on alert after diet pills that come in grenade shaped containers sparked security alerts .