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.
BREATHING life back into old photographs, these black and white images are transformed by colour .
A SHOCKING cartoon of a black man carrying bags saying‘’zippadydoohdah zip-up immigrant bags’ has appeared in a shop window and is being investigated by police .
FROM MRS Patmore to Lady Sybil, these barking mad illustrations show the WOOF-er side of some of our most loved Downton characters .
A lazy tree frog, tired of hopping along a branch, chooses the slowest form of transport when it jumps on top of an unsuspecting snail .
COURAGEOUS climbers descend 400 metres as they manoeuvre their way through thick walls of ice .
What lies beneath this building site? Britain's great hope of winning the pre-WW2 arms race against Nazi Germany .
SPURTING water 20ft into the air, this is one well you wouldn't want to dip your bucket into .
A trio of ants are locked in a tug of war over a fly as they pull the bug by its legs .
WIDE EYED and staring straight down the lens of the camera, this intrigued seal is ready for his close up .
Jostling their quills into the noses of some unlucky cubs, this is the moment two feisty porcupines ALMOST defeat a pride of seven lions .
A once bustling gold rush town in Mono County, California now stands completed deserted .
POPE MOBBED BY THOUSANDS OF WORSHIPPERS IN RIO - Thousands of worshippers gather to celebrate the Papal visit on Copacabana beach, Rio de Janeiro ,Brazil .