Shokyo Miura, a Buddhist monk and one of the on-site priests, poses for pictures outside Tera Cafe in Tokyo, Japan, April 1, 2016. At first glance, the cafe, which also serves alcohol, looks like any other except for an altar next to the countertop bar with a Buddha statue set against a gold backdrop. The menu confirms this is something different. It lists classes for 1,500 yen ($14) in weaving prayer beads, calligraphy with sutras, or lines of scripture, and consultations with a Buddhist priest. (Photo by Yuya Shino/Reuters)

Women wearing traditional dresses with pins of pictures of former North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il welcome foreign reporters on a government organised visit to the Kim Jong Suk Pyongyang textile mill in Pyongyang, North Korea May 9, 2016. (Photo by Damir Sagolj/Reuters)

A picture taken with slow shutter speed shows members of the group “The Kattfiller” from Attendorn taking part during the Norddeutsche Championship carnivalesque dance sport in Kassel (Hessen), Germany, 28 February 2016. About 1,100 qualified dancers show in different disciplines their skills. (Photo by Swen Pfoertner/EPA)

Alpacas of Lisa Vella-Gatt (not pictured) graze at her farm near Benfeita, Portugal May 11, 2015. Lisa came to Portugal from England in 2009 to set up Monte Frio Alpacas, a project where she breeds alpacas, which produce wool. Lisa's 14 alpacas produce about 50 kilos (110 pounds) of wool annually. (Photo by Rafael Marchante/Reuters)

Fire over Vieira de Leiria, Portugal, on October 16, 2017 as a series of deadly wildfires broke out across Spain and Portugal as the approach of Hurricane Ophelia whipped up strong winds that fanned the flames. (Photo by Helio Madeiras/News Pictures)

A horse named Quinn, with a skeleton painted on it to help educate officers, is pictured during a visit by Britain's Queen Elizabeth II (unseen) and Britain's Prince Charles, Prince of Wales (unseen) to the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment at the Hyde Park Barracks in west London on October 24, 2017. (Photo by Chris Jackson/AFP Photo)

A quake-resistant dome house decorated with Japan's popular “Kumamon” bear character is pictured at the Aso Farm Land resort in Aso, Japan on November 6, 2017. Cabins modelled after Japanese sweets and made from polystyrene foam withstood last year's deadly earthquakes in Kumamoto prefecture. (Photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon/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)