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)

England supporters celebrate England's penalty and second goal as they watch the UEFA EURO 2020 semi-final football match between England and Denmark, at the 4TheFans Fan Park in Manchester, northwest England on July 7, 2021. (Photo by Oli Scarff/AFP Photo)

An Afghan man rushes to the target with his horse as a Taliban fighter stands guard during a spear racing in the sprawling Chaman-e-Huzori park in downtown Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, May 6, 2022. (Photo by Ebrahim Noroozi/AP Photo)

Santa Claus wears a mask as he pushes a sleigh full of curbside grocery orders to an Aldi customer at a parking lot in Palatine, Ill., Saturday, December 19, 2020. For this weekend only, Santa Claus is delivering groceries to Aldi customers in Palatine and several other towns in the Chicago area. (Photo by Nam Y. Huh/AP Photo)

A red squirrel sniffs out nuts inside Christmas stockings as part of the festive celebrations and enrichment programme at Wildwood Escot Park in Ottery St Mary, Devon, United Kingdom on December 17, 2020. (Photo by Ben Birchall/PA Images via Getty Images)

San Diego Ballet School students wear protective masks backstage during a performance of “The Nutcracker”, presented by the San Diego Ballet in a drive-in performance at a parking lot in San Diego, California, December 5, 2020. (Photo by Bing Guan/Reuters)

People cool off in Crown Fountain in Millennium Park on August 12, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. As temperatures climb across the nation, nearly 200 million Americans are under some level of heat advisory. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

A young girl is splashed as she takes an elephant bath at Rapti river in Chitwan, Nepal, 30 October 2021. Chitwan is one of the major tourist destinations in Nepal and popular zone for wild life sightseeing in Chitwan National Park. (Photo by Narendra Shrestha/EPA/EFE)