More than 30 years after the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine became the world’s largest nuclear accident, life is vibrant and thriving. Dozens of species—wolves, boars, eagles and more—roam the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.
Though some mangled and deformed animal images from the CEZ fascinate and float around the internet, the healthy ones spotted here on remote cameras are more the norm.
Researchers at the University of Georgia Savannah River Ecology Laboratory used 30 remote cameras tucked in 94 sites around the contaminated areas to find the wildlife. They put fatty acid scents at each spot to attract animals, particularly carnivores that are more susceptible to contamination through their high spot on the food chain.
The crew saw 14 species of mammals, most frequently the gray wolf, wild or Eurasian boar, red fox and raccoon dog native to East Asia and Europe. All were at stations near the most highly contaminated areas. They documented the different species in a study last year.
“We didn’t find any evidence to support the idea that populations are suppressed in highly contaminated areas,” said James Beasley, the lead study author and UGA professor. “What we did find was these animals were more likely to be found in areas of preferred habitat that have the things they need—food and water.”
As part of the project, the UGA researchers worked with the National Geographic Society Committee for Research and Exploration, the Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire in France and the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority. Take a look at what they saw on the remote cameras.
Main photo by National Geographic Society
Carolyn Crist is a freelance health and science journalist for regional and national publications. She writes the Escape Artist column for Paste Travel, On the Mind column for Paste Science and Stress Test column for Paste Health.
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Baby spotted eagles
The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is an officially designated area around the nuclear reactor disaster where humans aren't allowed to enter. Researchers are finding that without human interference, animals are thriving.
Valeriy Yurko
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Gray wolves
The exclusion zone, established by the USSR military in 1986, was originally a 30 kilometer radius (almost 19 miles) that was evacuated and put under military control. Now it's more than 2,600 kilometers (or 1,000 square miles!) in size.
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Gray wolf
The zone is considered one of the most contaminated radioactive areas in the world. That's why scientists are so drawn to studying radiation exposures on the environment and animals. At the same time, it attracts curious tourists, too.
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Wild boars
Some "returnees" or self-settlers, also called "samosely" live in the zone, even though it is illegal. Now about 200 people live in 11 villages in the zone. Since they're mostly senior citizens, officials leave them alone and sometimes offer limited social services.
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Wild boars
About 3,000 people work in the zone to decommission reactors, build containment shelters and assess ongoing conditions. They work on-off shifts to limit radiation and are constantly monitored.
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Wild boars
A few guided tours can take people to the zone from Kiev. They can see former homes and schools, as well as the one operating church — an Eastern Orthodox Christian church called St. Elijah Church, which is known for its extremely low radiation levels.
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Raccoon dog
In pop culture, the nearby town — Pripyat — has been in video games such as Call of Duty 4 and S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl (and S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat). Sometimes fans of the latter games sneak into the zone illegally, calling themselves "stalkers."
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European bison
Still, researchers are debating how much plant and animal life has suffered. Some deformities — such as albinism — have been recorded, and some insects have mutated.
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Moose family
But others see the zone as an involuntary park that has allowed the environment to go back to a natural, overgrown state without human interaction.
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Przewalski horse
The Przewalski horse, for example, is a wild horse species that was once extinct in the wild in the 1960s. Originally from central Asia (current-day Mongolia), the horse was reintroduced from zoos to native habitats in Mongolia — and the Chernobyl zone after the accident.
Tatyana Deryabina
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European badger
National Geographic Society, University of Georgia and other scientists will continue to monitor the different species and record what they see from afar. Who knows what we'll find in 30 more years?
National Geographic Society