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.
An adorable orangutan named Pongo celebrates his first birthday at Zoo Atlanta, Georgia, America .
A Little owl looks down the lens of a camera and gives the photographer a cheeky wink .
Hot on the heels of a little rabbit, this cheetah is on a mission to catch his prey .
Animal rescue volunteers have told how a cat riddled with cancer was forced to ripped off its own ears after it was abandoned by its owners .
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 .
Soldiers standing guard outside the Woolwich barracks in London - Two terror suspects are under armed guard in separate hospitals in London after a serving soldier was hacked to death in the street .
WITH HIS PAW covering his mouth, this cheeky cub looks amused by something .
SOARING through the air, this is the moment a hungry tawny owl arrives home with dinner .
SPLASHING around in a paddling pool, this little elephant soaks up the sunshine .
A rare manuscript of one of Charlotte Bronte’s earliest poems went under the hammer today and fetched nearly £100,000 – double what it was expected to get .
An adorable black bear cub struggles to find the perfect spot for an afternoon nap as he wriggles around on the branch of a maple tree .
POWERFUL bolts of lightning illuminate the night sky in an incredible autumn storm over the Sardinian coastline .