World Environment Day is celebrated on June 5 every year in appreciation of nature. The day highlights the environmental challenges that are rising in number due to human actions. The United Nations began World Environment Day following a campaign in 1974. It started in order to bring the governments, NGOs, communities, corporations and people in large under one platform making them realise about the positive change they can bring by adopting a sensitive attitude towards our environment. The theme for 2020 World Environment Day is 'Celebrate Biodiversity' and is set to be hosted in Colombia since it holds 10 % of the planet’s biodiversity. Germany will be the co-partners with Colombia in conducting the event. With COVID 19 pandemic ravaging the world, the celebrations this year will be largely digital. How to Celebrate World Environment Day 2020 at Home? From Segregating Waste to Saving Water, 5 Ways in Which You Can Observe the Day. 

On World Environment Day, we take a look at some mind-boggling facts about nature.

  • The Milky Way Galaxy is on a collision course with Andromeda Galaxy and after the chaos settles, the two will merge into one. This phenomenon is not likely to happen for the next 3.75 billion years.

  • Dolphins have a name for each other and can communicate with other dolphins on phone through signature whistles.

  • It is believed that crows are so intelligent that they tend to prank other crows.

  • Dogs can be identified by their unique nose prints which are on similar lines as human fingerprints.

  • 85 % of the plant life is found in the ocean which means the vegetation we see around the globe is not even the tip of the iceberg.

  • The largest flower on earth is of the plant Rafflesia Arnoldii and weighs about 10kg with a height of 1 meter.

  • Horses have two blind spots – first is in front of them and the other directly behind their head.

  • Butterflies have their taste sensor on their feet as they need to stand on a leaf to make sure their caterpillars can eat it.

  • The King’s holly plant reproduces by dropping their own branch which then forms its own root system.

  • Armadillos make bullet ricochet off their body and one man in Texas ended up getting shot when fired at the animal.

  • Hurricanes are so powerful that they can release a force of 10,000 atomic bombs over an area of 413 miles.

  • African Buffalo herds make the decision on the direction of their travel by voting. Each adult female in the herd gets up and looks in a particular direction which is deemed her vote.

  • Although goats do not have their language, the pickup accents from one another as per the research of the Queen Mary University of London.

Nature has fascinated humans for centuries and it is imperative we remain respectful of our environment for all the living beings to flourish and co-exist peacefully.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 04, 2020 12:17 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).