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 team from Woody's Ice Cream shop wrangle a large inflatable dinosaur down the street during the Independence Day Parade in Fairfax, Virginia July 4, 2015. Americans marched in star-spangled parades, ran relay races, gathered for fireworks shows and crowned a new world hot dog eating champion as they celebrated Independence Day in traditional style on Saturday. (Photo by Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

A woman looks at goldfish through the warped wall of a fish tank at the Art Aquarium exhibition in Tokyo July 10, 2015. Several thousand goldfish are displayed in dozens of uniquely shaped tanks, using LED lights, projection mapping and music in a show that was produced by Japanese designer Hidetomo Kimura. (Photo by Thomas Peter/Reuters)

This photo series shows curvy canines and flexible felines participating in a spot of yoga. The shots feature the animals in the likes of the lotus position, balancing on two legs, and stretching in ways that would make the greatest of yoga masters proud. Photographer Dan Borris came up with the idea for the series in 2000, when he was asked by a friend to photograph her in a yoga pose while her dog bothered her. Pictured: Wally. (Photo by Dan Borris/Caters News)

Belly dancer Nagwa Fouad sailing on the river Nile, 1972. Egypt is one of 23 countries represented at the Dubai Photo Exhibition, showing off photography that dates to the 1920s. Dubai Photo Exhibition is in various venues of Dubai’s design district from 16-19 March. (Photo by Farouk Ibrahim)

A view of one of the dioramas contained inside iron boxes as part of the “S.A.C.R.E.D” installation by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei during a media preview at the cathedral in Cuenca, Spain, July 21, 2016. Ai Weiwei has reproduced scenes of his incarceration for a new art installation, a series of almost life-size dioramas – encased in steel boxes – showing his life in jail. (Photo by Susana Vera/Reuters)

Well, this is hardly a waist of time! Here’s the couple who traveled the U.S. with an LED hula hoop – taking magnificent landscape photographs as they went. The brilliantly vibrant photographs show off the lights and colors of the lit-up hula hoop – with the strikingly serene American landscapes in the background. Grant Mallory, 25, from Columbus, Ohio, took pictures of his 23-year-old fiance hula-hooping in various national parks across the United States over the course of a three month road trip in the summer of 2015. Here: Magnificent pictures taken by Grant Mallory. (Photo by Grant Mallory/Caters News)

A spooky sight to behold! This is what a psychiatric hospital that has been abandoned for years looks like. Complete with bowling alley and a theater, the hospital shows just how much nature has weathered it over time as paint peels from the walls and the mattress gather dust. Here: This area of the hospital was last used as a day care center in the early 2000s. (Photo by Will Ellis/Caters News)