Italy's Charlene Guignard (L) and Marco Fabbri react to their score after the ice dance rhythm dance competition during the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2023 in Saitama, on March 24, 2023. (Photo by Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP Photo)

Surrender by Jenkin Van Zyl, a surreal installation at Fact Liverpool on November 16, 2023 featuring film and sculptural works inside a large inflatable silver rat. (Photo by James Glossop/The Times)

Visitors observe the sculpture “That Girl” by U.S. artist Paul McCarthy, at the Hyperrealist Sculpture 1973-2016 exhibition in the Museum of Bellas Artes in Bilbao, northern Spain, July 27, 2016. (Photo by Vincent West/Reuters)

A tourist struggles in the water, before standing up and wading away, after a wave strengthened by the influence of Typhoon Dujuan hit a river bank in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province September 29, 2015. (Photo by Reuters/China Daily)

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)

The 26th annual National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest is now accepting submissions. Official categories include: “Travel Portraits”, “Outdoor Scenes”, “Sense of Place” and “Spontaneous Moments”. The contest is accepting entries until June 30. Photo: “Forest lights”. Aurora Borealis over the forest of the Pyhae Luosto National Park, Finland. (Photo and caption by Nicholas Roemmelt/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, shelters from the rain under an umbrella as she arrives at the London School of Economics to mark the launch of The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, where she took part in a roundtable discussion on the Centre's inaugural report, “Big Change Starts Small” which was released today, in London on June 18, 2021. (Photo by Richard Pohle/Pool via AFP Photo)

An Afghan vendor selling birds to be kept as pets wait for customers in his shop in Kabul on December 11, 2021. (Photo by Ahmad Sahel Arman/AFP Photo)