This picture taken on February 16, 2017 in Fangshan village in China's coastal province Fujians, shows a villager performing the “eating flowers” ritual. Villagers in eastern China have a unique way of washing away the taint of evil spirits – by bathing in a shower of scorching sparks. (Photo by Johannes Eisele/AFP Photo)

In a handout picture released by the British Ministry of Defence via their Defence News Imagery website on August 22, 2016, Nils Olav the penguin inspects the Guard of Honour formed by His Majesty the King of Norway's Guard on August 22, 2016 at Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland. His Majesty the King of Norway's Guard paid a very special visit to RZSS Edinburgh Zoo to bestow a unique honour upon resident king penguin Sir Nils Olav. Already a knight, the most famous king penguin in the world was given the new title of “Brigadier Sir Nils Olav”. (Photo by Mark Owens/AFP Photo)

Ja Kang Song, 71, and Ja Hyun Su, 72, dive for shellfish and are the main breadwinners for their families. In South Korea, 45% of the diving women of Jeju are over the age of 70. Routinely diving to depths of 20m and staying under for an average of two to three minutes, the pressure on the body takes its toll and, like many others, burst eardrums have left Ja Hyun Su deaf. Each season, between seven and 10 women die diving the waters around Jeju Island. (Photo by Andy W. Langton/Age International)

An young Indian Jain devotee dressed as Lord Krishna participates in a religious rally organised on the occasion of Mahavir Jayanti in Kolkata on April 2, 2015. The most important religious holiday in Jainism, Mahavir Jayanti celebrates the birth of Mahavira, the last Tirthankara, which is generally accepted as 599 BCE. (Photo by Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP Photo)

A farmer sleeps near cows at the International Agricultural Show in Paris, France, February 29, 2016. The Paris Farm Show runs from February 27 to March 6, 2016. (Photo by Benoit Tessier/Reuters)

A bulldog dressed as Marilyn Monroe poses for a photograph during the annual Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade in the Manhattan borough of New York City, October 24, 2015. (Photo by Stephanie Keith/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 Bosnian special forces soldier returns fire 06 April 1992 downtown Sarajevo as he and civilians come under fire from Serbian snipers. The Serb extremists were shooting from the roof of a hotel at a peace demonstration of some of 30,000 people as fighting between Bosnian and Serb fighters escalated in the capital of Bosnia- Hercegovina. (Photo by Mike Persson/AFP Photo)