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
SLEEPING IN THE WILDERNESS

SLEEPING within touching distance of wild African animals might not be everyone's idea of a relaxing break .

WOMAN SPENDS £10K TRANSFORMING INTO DISNEY PRINCESSES

Meet the real life princess who has spent £10k transforming herself into nine Disney beauties .

SLAM DUNK DA FISH

THIS is the incredible moment a pelican throws a fish into the air and SLAM DUNKS it into its enormous throat sack .

GONE IN SIXTY SECONDS GANG JAILED FOR 12YRS

A gang whose £1-million supercar scam has echoes of the film Gone In Sixty Seconds has been jailed for a total of 12 years .

A LOT OF BOTTLE: ARTIST PAINTS PICTURE USING JUST COKE

This artist had a lot of bottle to re-create a masterpiece painted with nothing but 24 litres of cola .

PUTIN'S TINY ARMY 

Some parents would gasp at the thought of their children playing with a toy gun, but these Russian children are actually encouraged to take up real arms .

CHEEKY GORILLA

A cheeky gorilla sticks her tongue out and plays up for the camera at Bronx Zoo .

CUTE MINI LION

MEET the little lion of suburbia with a mane that makes him look like a mini-king of the jungle .

MILLIONS OF SARDINES CREATE A TORNADO WAVE

THIS incredible shimmer of silver fish mirrors the image of that of an underwater tornado .

CHEEKY OWL’S UNUSUAL LANDING SPOT

An owl swoops through the air before making an unorthodox landing - right on top of an unsuspecting man's head .

SNAP-SHOT - 18 FOOT CROCODILE SAVAGELY KILLS WILDEBEEST

This daredevil wildebeest tried a walk on the wild side - straight into the snatches of a huge 18 foot crocodile .

APPY CAMPING: COOKING STOVE CHARGES SMARTPHONES

Here's a APPY solution that should brighten up a wet weekend away camping - a wood powered stove that also recharges your smartphone .