Chernobyl Has Become A Paradise For Gray Wolves
On April 26th 1986 a disaster rocked the world that will likely never be forgotten; Chernobyl. An explosion in one of the reactors caused a catastrophic nuclear accident that will make the area uninhabitable for humans for an estimated 20,000 years. Hundreds of people that either worked at the nuclear power plant or lived nearby fell ill and died from cancer and radiation sickness in the years following the disaster.
The entire area has been fenced off, spanning a radius of 9.3 miles that contains 1,004 square miles. Studies have been conducted over the years of the local wildlife in the exclusion zone, and a recent study found that gray wolves are actually prospering in the exclusion zone, despite many other wildlife falling ill from the effects of radiation.
A recent study by Michael Byrne, published in the European Journal of Wildlife Research, found that the population of gray wolves is seven times higher than in the surrounding areas, with some of the wolves venturing outside. Researchers followed one wolf that ventured outside for 21 days, and in that time the wolf traveled 186 kilometers (115 miles).
Whilst its currently unknown if the wolves are carrying any unknown genetic mutations caused by the radiation, further studies will be carried out. In a interview, Byrne said “the Chernobyl exclusion zone might actually act as a source of wildlife to help other populations in the region. And these findings might not just apply to wolves – it’s reasonable to assume similar things are happening with other animals as well.“
