A man falls from an ox cart as he competes during an ox cart competition near U Bein bridge, in Mandalay March 22, 2015. (Photo by Soe Zeya Tun/Reuters)

“Kids of Sapa”. Four little beautiful Hmong girls from Lao Chai Village, near Sapa, Vietnam. (Photo and caption by Felipe Hanower/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

The Eiffel Tower is illuminated during the traditional Bastille Day fireworks display in Paris, July 14, 2013. (Photo by Fred Dufour/AFP Photo)

Revelers dance and shout as they listen to music, in front of the main stage, during the 21st Woodstock Festival in Kostrzyn-upon-Odra, Poland July 31, 2015. An estimated 200,000 people attended the ongoing festival, a brainchild of Polish journalist and social campaigner Jerzy Owsiak, on Friday. Owsiak initiated the event to say thank you to those who donated money to his GOCC charity organisation that delivers medical care for children. (Photo by Kacper Pempel/Reuters)

The worst drought in 40 years has a cruel grip on Somalia. A struggling young government and militant violence have compounded to bring crisis to 6.7 million lives. The town of Baidoa is facing some of the harshest conditions. Surrounded by territory controlled by al-Shabaab militants and amid ongoing attacks, 160,000 people have had to leave their farms and are surviving in camps where hunger, thirst and cholera await them. (Photo by Peter Caton/Mercy Corps)

The Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) is seen over the sky near the village of Pallas (Muonio region) of Lapland, Finland September 8, 2017. (Photo by Alexander Kuznetsov/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)

A photographer with a hidden camera took 2,500 photos before this elusive badger was ready for his close-up in September 2020. (Photo by Andy Swinden/BNPS)