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 bull hits a reveller during the first running of the bulls of the San Fermin festival in Pamplona, Spain, July 7, 2018. Each day at 8am hundreds of people race with six bulls, charging along a winding, 848.6-metre (more than half a mile) course through narrow streets to the city's bull ring, where the animals are killed in a bullfight or corrida, during this festival dating back to medieval times and also featuring religious processions, folk dancing, concerts and round-the-clock drinking. (Photo by Vincent West/Reuters)

If you think you are looking at stunning sunset safari photographs, think again. From a herd of elephants trailing the savanna at sunset to a crocodile hungrily engulfing a baby impala, amazingly these clever pictures are actually made using nothing but props, toy animals and vegetables. Julia Wimmerlin has always dreamed of going on safari and found a way to channel her dream in a seriously creative way. Here: An elephant with plants of parsley, rosemary, tamarind and coconut boulders. (Photo by Julia Wimmerlin/Caters News)

These hilarious photos will leave people wedding themselves with laughter. The images – which include photobombs, wardrobe malfunctions and unexpected animal behaviour – have been released by the International Society of Professional Wedding Photographs (ISPWP). Each year the society holds quarterly competitions, celebrating a variety of the best image from couples special days. Other categories in the ISPWPs completions include the likes Getting Ready, First Dance, Family Love, and a selection of portrait possibilities. Here: Couples wedding photo photobombed by deer. (Photo by Hendra Lesmana/Caters News Agency/ISPWP)

A man eats a meal under his tree house, which acts as a shelter from wild elephants, in Gwe Cho village, Shwe Taung Yan township Ayeyarwady division January 18, 2016. Wild elephants are driving villagers in a Myanmar township to seek refuge while the animals storm their rice paddies, in Ayeyarwady in the Delta region, West of Yangon. (Photo by Soe Zeya Tun/Reuters)

Zurab Gurielidze, a director of the Tbilisi Zoo, speaks to the media while standing next to a hippopotamus named Begi at the zoo in Tbilisi, Georgia, September 13, 2015. Tbilisi zoo, which was partly destroyed and some 300 animals escaped or died in the floods that also killed at least 19 people in June, was reopened on Sunday. (Photo by David Mdzinarishvili/Reuters)

Chinese artist Zhou Jie takes a nap on an unfinished iron wire bed, one of her sculpture works, after lunch at Beijing Now Art Gallery, in Beijing August 11, 2014. Zhou started her art project titled “36 Days” on August 9, in which she would live inside an exhibition hall with an unfinished iron wire bed, some iron wire sculptures in the shape of stuffed animal dolls, a certain amount of food and her mobile phone, for 36 days. The entire process is open to visitors and she may also interact with them, according to Zhou. (Photo by Jason Lee/Reuters)

Looking for love by Tony Wu, USA. Highly commended, Animal Portraits. “Accentuating his mature appearance with pastel colours, protruding lips and an outstanding pink forehead, this Asian sheepshead wrasse sets out to impress females and see off rivals, which he will head-butt and bite, near Japan’s remote Sado Island. Individuals start out as females, and when they reach a certain age and size – up to a metre (more than 3 feet) long – can transform into males. Long-lived and slow-growing, the species is intrinsically vulnerable to overfishing”. (Photo by Tony Wu/2018 Wildlife Photographer of the Year)