From house breaking in Johannesburg to hippos on the loose in Tbilisi to rioters attacking a policewoman in Burundi, Reuters photographers tell the story behind some of the most iconic pictures of the year. Here: Protesters drag a female police officer accused of shooting a protester in the Buterere neighbourhood of Bujumbura, Burundi, May 12, 2015. Goran Tomasevic: Protesters started throwing stones at a group of police, who then started to run away. The policewoman in the photo, Medikintos Inabeza, 33, got left behind and then some protesters started to push her, saying that she had shot a female protestor in the stomach with an AK47 rifle. I didn't see anything of that. There were 5 or 10 protesters pushing the policewoman at first, then others came and joined in. Up to 20 or 30 protesters were surrounding her at one point. The protesters kicked and beat her very badly; I also saw a couple of knives. I thought they were going to kill her... (Photo by Goran Tomasevic/Reuters)

To draw the public's attention to a new line of bathing suits, a Tokyo department store used live models to show off the suits on June 5, 1950. The rain didn't bother the curious, and both the girls and the crowd seemed to like the idea of staring at each other through the glass. (Photo by AP Photo via The Atlantic)

A mascot of the Philippine National Police (PNP), named after their Chief Director General Ronald Dela Rosa, marches with members of the K9 units and the Special Action Force before the mass blessing for rescue dogs during the celebration of the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, patron Saint of Animals, at the St. John Paul II parish church in Eastwood, Quezon city, metro Manila, Philippines October 2, 2016. (Photo by Romeo Ranoco/Reuters)

An initiate sprays out his fan as he enjoys the view from atop his father's shoulders during the ceremony in Mae Hong Son, Thailand, April 2016. (Photo by Claudio Sieber/Barcroft Images)

In this March 22, 1975 file photo, a refugee clutches a baby as a government helicopter gunship carries them away near Tuy Hoa, Vietnam, 235 miles northeast of Saigon. They were among thousands fleeing from Communist advances. AP Photographer Nick Ut will be retiring from the AP in March 2017 after 51 years of taking photographs from the front lines of the Vietnam War to the red carpets of Hollywood. (Photo by Nick Ut/AP Photo)

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 man driving a vintage car reacts as he passes by crabs crossing a highway on their way to spawn in the sea in Playa Giron, Cuba on April 25, 2017. Each year, after the first spring rains, millions of red, yellow and black landcrabs march for days from the surrounding forests to the bay on Cuba's southern coast to spawn in the sea. (Photo by Alexandre Meneghini/Reuters)

A dark Devon Rex cat is held by its owner during a competition in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, September 26, 2015. More than 300 cats entered the international feline beauty competition in the Romanian capital. (Photo by Vadim Ghirda/AP Photo)