Some two thousand runners dressed as Santa Claus make their way through Clapham Common during The London Santa Dash, to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital, in London, Britain December 4, 2016. (Photo by Dylan Martinez/Reuters)

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and these striking images of 2017 are no exception. The photo highlights include incredible snapshots of the natural world as well as some awesome animal and human encounters. The vibrant gallery also shows thrill-seekers pushing themselves to the limit with breathtaking stunts captured in perfect clarity. The pictures have been taken by a host of photographers from around the world. Here: The two lion cubs singing their hearts out at Antelope park in Zimbabwe. (Photo by David Jenkins/Caters News Agency)

A chimpanzee in the Osnabrück Zoo in Lower Saxony makes contact with a small zoo visitor sitting in front of a pane on September 1, 2020. The two males Lobo and Lome moved from Leipzig Zoo to Osnabrück Zoo to strengthen the social structure of the existing group. (Photo by Friso Gentsch/dpa)

A woman wearing a protective mask walks outside a village that was placed under lockdown due to the number of COVID-19 cases among residents in Manila, Philippines on Thursday, March 11, 2021. The Philippine capital placed two villages and two hotels on lockdown Thursday and police have renewed warnings against kissing and other “public display of affection” after a new surge in coronavirus infections. (Photo by Aaron Favila/AP Photo)

A robot, developed by start-up firm Asimov Robotics, holds a tray with face masks and sanitizer after the two robots were launched to spread awareness about the coronavirus, in Kochi, India, March 17, 2020. (Photo by Sivaram V/Reuters)

Idania Espanola, 63, poses for a photo showing a bra that she will adapt into two face masks, amid the spread of the new coronavirus in Cojimar, Cuba, east of Havana, Tuesday, March 31, 2020. (Photo by Ramon Espinosa/AP Photo)

A Sphynx cat stares sitting on its owner's lap during an international feline beauty competition in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, April 14, 2018. More than 250 cats take part in the two-day competition in the Romanian capital. (Photo by Vadim Ghirda/AP Photo)

Actors dressed as Santa Claus take a refreshing bath at Bellevue Beach north of Copenhagen, Denmark, on July 24, 2018, as they take part in the World Santa Congress, an annual two-day event held every summer in Copenhagen. (Photo by Mads Claus Rasmussen/AFP Photo/Ritzau Scanpix)