A worker paints the Amazon Tall Tower Observatory (ATTO) in Sao Sebastiao do Uatuma in the middle of the Amazon forest in Amazonas state January 10, 2015. The Amazon Tall Tower Observatory is a project of Brazil's National Institute of Amazonian Research and Germany's Max Planck Institute and will be equipped with high-tech instruments and an observatory to monitor relationships between the jungle and the atmosphere from next July. According to the institutes, ATTO will gather data on heat, water, carbon gas, winds, cloud formation and weather patterns. (Photo by Bruno Kelly/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)

“Leopard Hunting a Stork”. “One-shot capture. I watched the leopard stalking the stork, I only had time to focus at 400mm, no time to change to high speed, I watched the stork, and as soon as it flapped its wings, I shot one shot”. (Photo by Paul Rifkin/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest)

A Filipino transgender woman holds a huge red ribbon symbolizing fight against the HIV virus as she poses before photographers, during a World Aids Day celebration in Manila, Philippines, December 1, 2015. (Photo by Erik De Castro/Reuters)

A selection of hand-made leis, traditional Hawaiian necklaces made of flowers and worn mostly on special occasions, fill a cooler at Lin's Lei Shop in the Chinatown district of Honolulu, Hawaii December 22, 2015. Hawaii, whose economy depends heavily on tourism, sees a brief lull in visitors each year in January and February. But in addition to the usual tourist destinations, the state shows a unique overlay of mainland U.S. culture atop tropical beauty year-round. (Photo by Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

Garrett Gerloff (L) of the USA GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team and Sandro Cortese (R) of Germany on OUTDO Kawasaki TPR colide during a warm up session of the the World Superbike Championship on Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia, 01 March 2020. (Photo by Scott Barbour/EPA/EFE)

Sunrise in Ely, Cambridgeshire on April 15, 2020 by the River Great Ouse, England. The warm weather is set to continue until the weekend. (Photo by Veronica Johansson Poultney/Bav Media)

Turkish police detained dozens of demonstrators participating in an LGBT pride march in Istanbul, Turkey on June 26, 2021. Police fired tear gas, rubber bullets and blocked attempts by protesters to gather in large numbers after a government decision to ban pride events in recent years. (Photo by Diego Cupolo/NurPhoto/Rex Features/Shutterstock)