The 22 Most Surprising Photos of the Month

High waves hitting the Qiantang River bank
Tide spectators react to a high wave hitting the bank of Qiantang River in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China, Aug. 13, 2014.Xu Kangping—EPA
By Phil Bicker
TOPSHOTS-CHINA-ANIMAL-SHARK
A dead whale shark, caught by local fishermen, is transported on a tractor in a seafood wholesale market, in Xiangzhi township in Quanzhou, east China's Fujian province, Aug. 1, 2014. Stringer—AFP/Getty Images
Students of Shaolin Tagou Martial Arts School are suspended in mid-air as they practise in a dress rehearsal for a stunt performance which is part of the opening ceremony of the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic Games, at a stadium in Nanjing
Students of Shaolin Tagou Martial Arts School are suspended in mid-air as they rehearse a segment of the opening ceremony of the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic Games, in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, Aug. 14, 2014. Donald Chan—Reuters
China's Face-kini Becomes Unlikely Global Fashion Hit
A Chinese girl wears a face-kini, a locally designed mask worn by local women to protect them from jellyfish stings, algae and the sun's ultraviolet rays, on the Yellow Sea in Qingdao, China, Aug. 21, 2014.Kevin Frayer—Getty Images
Fireworks streak past in front of the supermoon outside the town of Mosta
Fireworks streak past in front of the supermoon outside the town of Mosta, in central Malta, in celebration of the feast of its patron saint, Aug. 10, 2014. Darrin Zammit Lup
Biblical Whale Inflated On Weston-Super-Mare Beach
People sit in front of a 50ft inflatable whale erected on the beach by the Bible Society on Aug. 27, 2014 in Weston-Super-Mare, England. Matt Cardy—Getty Images
Elk in the office
A young bull elk stands behind a window in an administration building of Siemens in Dresden, Germany, Aug. 25, 2014.Arno Burgi—EPA
Villagers Offer Up Gifts To Volcano As Part Of Yadnya Kasada Festival
A bird, thrown by Hindu worshippers, flies over the crater of mount Bromo during the Yadnya Kasada Festival on Aug. 12, 2014 in Probolinggo, East Java, Indonesia. Ulet Ifansasti—Getty Images
Nepalese Hindu devotee observe Fathers Day
The shaven-head of a Nepalese man following a blessing of rice and a leaf from a priest, during Nepal's Father's Day at Gokarneswor Shrine, near Kathmandu, Nepal, Aug. 25, 2014.Narendra Shrestha—EPA
A lone house is seen at the construction site of an urban transformation project in Fikirtepe
A lone house is seen at the construction site of an urban transformation project in Fikirtepe, Istanbul, Aug. 14, 2014. Murad Sezer—Reuters
A femal dog feeds two-day-old tiger cubs and her puppy at a zoo in Hefei
A female dog feeds two-day-old tiger cubs and her puppy at a zoo in Hefei, Anhui province, China, Aug. 22, 2014. Jianan Yu—Reuters
APTOPIX Germany Zoo
An elephant swims in an indoor pool at the Leipzig Zoo, Germany, Aug. 5, 2014. Jens Meyer—AP
A man tries to grab flag as he slips off the "gostra", a pole covered in grease, during the week-long celebrations for the religious feast of St Julian, patron of the town of St Julian's, outside Valletta
A man tries to grab a flag as he slips off the "gostra", a pole covered in grease, during the week-long celebrations for the religious feast of St Julian, patron of the town of St Julian's, outside Valletta, Malta, Aug. 24, 2014. Darrin Zammit Lupi—Reuters
APTOPIX Nicaragua Santo Domingo
A young man, his body drenched with used motor oil, poses for a photo during festivities honoring patron saint Santo Domingo de Guzman, in Managua, Nicaragua, Aug. 1, 2014. Esteban Felix—AP
2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games - Day 10
Shannon Gardiner of South Africa competes in Rhythmic Gymnastics Individual All-Around Qualification on day ten of the Nanjing 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China, Aug. 26, 2014.Feng Li—Getty Images
High waves hitting the Qiantang River bank
Tide spectators react to a high wave hitting the bank of Qiantang River in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China, Aug. 13, 2014. Xu Kangping—EPA
Crisis in Ukraine
A cat wearing a ribbon with the Ukrainian national flag sits near a tank at a Ukrainian checkpoint in the town of Avdeevka, near Donetsk, Ukraine, Aug. 22, 2014. Roman Pilipey—EPA
Opening of 'Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red' at Tower of London
A sea of ceramic poppies, each representing a British or Colonial military fatality in the First World War, surround the Tower of London at the opening of 'Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red' by Paul Cummins, London, Aug. 5, 2014.Paul Brown—Demotix/Corbis
TOPSHOTS-ISRAEL-ULTRA-ORTHODOX-VACATION-DEAD SEA
Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men and boys cover their bodies with mineral-rich mud at a Men's only beach on the shores of the northern part of the Dead Sea on Aug. 17, 2014, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.Menahem Kahana—AFP/Getty Images
APTOPIX China Earthquake
A rabbit sniffs around the rubble following a massive earthquake in the town of Longtoushan in Ludian County in southwest China's Yunnan Province, Aug. 5, 2014. Andy Wong—AP
Eurofurence 2014
A Furry enthusiast uses a mobile phone as he attends the Eurofurence 2014 conference on Aug. 22, 2014 in Berlin.Adam Berry—Getty Images
TOPSHOTS-INDIA-RELIGION-FESTIVAL-WRESTLING
Elderly Indian wrestler, Ram Gopal performs during a bout of traditional wrestling organized at the historical Loknath Vyayamsala (Fitness Center) on the occasion of Nag Panchami, in Allahabad on Aug. 1, 2014. Sanjay Kanojia—AFP/Getty Images
California Earthquake
Skateboarder Chris Young, 22, launches himself off a buckled sidewalk in Napa, Calif., following an earthquake on Aug. 24, 2014. Noah Berger—AP

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