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.
WITH STUNNING colours and serene scenes, these photographs capture the otherworldly beauty of the English coast .
CAMPED out in the middle of a forest, these unusual hut hotels take you back to basics .
A BRITISH couple are the first to tie the knot inside an enormous GLACIER in Iceland .
BALANCING 30 metres above ground, these slackliners take the expression of living dangerously one step further, by tightrope walking NAKED .
YOU’VE heard of the northern lights now feast your eyes on the natural wonder of the SOUTHERN lights .
Like a scene from a fairytale, THOUSANDS of fireflies create an enchanting glow as they dance in a forest .
WITH LUSH GREEN LANDSCAPES stretching out as far as the eye can see, you're in for a treat at these one of a kind treehouses .
THEIR gnarling teeth at the ready, these two baboons fight it out for the last piece of fruit .
These are the faces of orphans suffering from the horrifying effects of chemical warfare .
A quiet Himalayan mountain village springs to life for a colourful Buddhist festival designed to expel evil spirits and bring happiness .
A cricket perches on an unusual seat after crawling up the snout of a crocodile .
UNDERWATER and above-water seaside shots show the best of British beach-life .