A newborn baby giraffe shows its tongue at the Planckendael zoo in Mechelen, 25 kilometers North of Brussels, Tuesday, February 18, 2014. The calf was born on Valentines day, February 14, and has a heart shaped spot on the hip. (Photo by Yves Logghe/AP Photo)

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)

In this January 3, 2018 photo several female Gelada baboons, also known as bleeding-heart baboons, cuddle with their youngs in order to keep warm at the Wilhelma zoo in Stuttgart, Germany. (Photo by Sebastian Gollnow/DPA via AP Photo)

Dancers perform “El torito”, during a celebration honoring Saint Thomas, the patron saint of Chichicastenango, Guatemala, Saturday, December 21, 2019. The Feast of Saint Thomas draws international tourists with its colorful pageantry, but at its heart is a religious celebration melding Catholic and indigenous traditions that culminates on Dec. 21. (Photo by Moises Castillo/AP Photo)

Ashley Roberts in the last decade of October 2022 poses a pretty question as she models for online fashion site Quiz. The Pussycat Dolls singer and Heart Radio host, 41, is the new face of the brand and has collaborated on its partywear collection. (Photo by Quiz)

“Not for the faint of heart”. Casa Milà, better known as La Pedrera, is a building designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí and built during the years 1905–1910, being considered officially completed in 1912. It is located at 92, Passeig de Gràcia in the Eixample district of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. (Photo by Stefano Scarselli)

Pickles the cat was once abandoned and had a hard time finding a home because of his size until he met a couple who have a heart and home big enough to take him in.

A Maasai boy bites a bull's heart during an initiation into an age group ceremony near the town of Bisil, Kajiado county, Kenya, August 23, 2018. Thousands of Kenyan boys had a blessing of milk and beer sprayed on them as part of a rare Maasai ethnic community initiation ceremony to mark their passing into early manhood. (Photo by Baz Ratner/Reuters)