SLEEPY GROUNDHOG

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.

Other great stories
LIP FILLERS NEARLY KILLED ME

A woman left disfigured and traumatised by an addiction to lip filler injections has issued a warning to others searching for the perfect pout after the plastic chemicals nearly killed her .

WEATHER TAKES BIZZARE TURN

It was sunny, now it's raining .

LOST LEAPING BABY WHALE

LEAPING for joy five-feet above the waves this baby whale cutie is saying HELLO to its family after being lost .

ADORABLE HARVEST MOUSE CLIMBS DANDELION

Surveying its surroundings, a tiny harvest mouse climbs the stem of a dandelion .

TEEN GIRL TRUCKER YOUNGEST IN UK

Blonde teen Jess Stubbs has certainly got girl power - as Britain’s youngest TRUCKER .

WOMAN BEATS BDD BY BECOMING UNDERWEAR MODEL

A woman who suffered from body dysmorphic disorder has overcome her illness by becoming a LINGERIE MODEL .

WORLD'S CRAZIEST BEARDS

CRAZY BEARDS come into their GROWN when they've been twisted and waxed into shape .

ANGRY GIRAFFE DESTROYS BIKE

AN ANGRY giraffe gave a bush-riding cyclist a scare when he stomped his £2K bike into the dirt .

VICTIM SAVES HER RAPIST'S LIFE AFTER HE OVERDOSES FOLLOWING ATTACK

A woman has told how she saved the life of her own rapist after he overdosed on pills shortly after attacking her .

THE DEVIL'S OWN GOAL: CLUB RENAMES STADIUM IN SATAN'S NAME

football club has scored an own goal after it had to embarrassingly rename its stadium in honour of the DEVIL .

BEAR AND FOX IN SHOWDOWN

This is the moment a nimble red fox and a lumbering Alaskan brown bear were locked in a tense stand-off .

WOMAN REJECTED BY ADOPTION AGENCY DUE TO PREGNANCY PHOBIA

A woman has spoken of her heartbreak after she was rejected by an adoption agency because of her pregnancy phobia .