June 17: International Crocodile Day, World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought

Today, on June 17, animal rights activists and wildlife lovers in many countries of the world can join various events on the occasion of the International Crocodile Day, UNN reports.

The ancestors of crocodiles appeared on our planet about 200 million years ago. Today, there are 21 species of crocodiles in the world.

Crocodiles are common in tropical and subtropical regions. They live in hot areas of Central and South America, Africa, Asia and Australia. Alligators and caimans are common in tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas, and only Chinese alligators are found in East Asia.

The world's largest reptile, the saltwater comb crocodile, lives off the coast of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, growing up to 6 meters long and weighing up to 1 ton. Crested crocodiles live in bays and river mouths, and sometimes swim to the open sea.

Crocodiles play an important role in the balance of nature and the environment. They are apex predators in their ecosystems, regulating populations of other animals and maintaining biodiversity. However, crocodiles also face many threats, including habitat loss, poaching, and illegal trade in their skin and meat.

In the 70s of the twentieth century, the Nile crocodile was threatened with complete extinction. Thanks to the measures taken, the population was preserved. Today, about 1500 of these predators live in protected areas.

Since 1995, on June 17, the United Nations has initiated events dedicated to the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.

According to various estimates, about 12 million hectares of land are lost on Earth every year. This, together with droughts, leads to agricultural losses of more than $40 billion annually. In Africa, more than a million people have become victims of droughts over the past 40 years.

Almost 60% of Ukraine's land is affected by erosion.

The purpose of today's event is to raise public awareness of the loss of land and soil, to unite people and governments to solve the environmental problem by protecting land, increasing soil fertility and saving energy resources.

June 17 is also the unofficial World Scavenger Day.

The event was initiated in 2011 by John Arwood, owner of a waste recycling company, to draw public attention to the hard work of people who keep communities clean.

You can still join the World Tessellation Day today.

A tessellation is a mosaic made up of several identical shapes that are adjacent to each other without gaps and do not overlap.

According to the church calendar, today is the Day of Remembrance of the Holy Martyrs, the brothers Manuel, Ismail, and Saul.

They came from a noble Persian family, and their mother was a Christian.

The ruler of Persia sent Manuel, Ishmael, and Saul on a peace mission to the Roman Emperor Julian the Apostate.

When the emperor learned that Christians had arrived, he offered them a sacrifice to pagan gods, but the brothers refused.

For this, Manuel, Ismael, and Saul were tortured for a long time, and then, by order of the emperor, their heads were beheaded.

On June 17, Joseph, Mykyta, Savelii, Dina, and Diana celebrate their name days.