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.
It's incredible to think anyone could live in such horrendous squalor - yet two men have been prosecuted for keeping their homes in such revolting conditions that it was no longer fit for their animals .
With the full moon looming behind him, this polar bear nestles down for the night .
A woman was left fighting for her life after an eczema wound became infected and caused a deadly flesh-eating bug to ravish a hole in her arm .
A curious red squirrel takes a break from collecting nuts and tries her hand at photography .
Is your cat bored? Do his usual playthings simply not do it for him anymore? Not to worry - there's an app for that .
Balanced on one leg, a frog assumes the crane kick martial arts stance made famous in the movie The Karate Kid .
MOUTH OPEN wide, this little stoat appears to be in mid-song as he belts out a tune for his onlookers .
Working at a height of 36,000ft, pilots may have the best view in the world .
A woman has revealed how she almost died after she developed sepsis from a cold .
Louise McManaman, 50, from Liverpool, started seeing Ian Blackburn, 62, in November 2021 .
A trout manages to escape the jaws of a hungry cormorant - only to find itself back inside the bird's long beak .