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Thirty years have passed since the terrible tragedy (the accident occurred on April 26, 1986). Every year, various researchers, expeditioners, extreme sports enthusiasts and tourists travel to the exclusion zone to personally imprint this area in their memory: to wander around forgotten city, see how the wild animals of Chernobyl look and behave, feel the loneliness that resulted from the prohibitive amount of radiation.
After returning from this place, everyone's opinions differ and everyone, especially tourists, try to tell their story of what is happening there today. Only scientists can argue about the situation in Pripyat, but ordinary tourists say that after all, animals from Chernobyl have noticeable even visually distinctive features mutations. Many even say that they saw with their own eyes that the animals of Chernobyl have greatly mutated and now they bear little resemblance to ordinary ones. But are the animals of Chernobyl really so different from their relatives in other territories? Let's talk more about these myths.
Due to the large amount of radioactive substances released into the atmosphere after the terrible accident, more than 116 thousand local residents were evacuated. Animals were the least of our thoughts at that time. As a result, the animals of Chernobyl became completely free from humans.
An area of more than 4,200 square kilometers was at the complete disposal of the animal world. Chernobyl animals became completely independent of human influence. After the explosion and the departure of people due to the effects of radiation and the risk of mutations, the animals of the Chernobyl zone gained complete freedom and now there are much more of them than there were before the accident at the nuclear power plant.
As time has shown, wild animals are on the verge of extinction precisely because of the human factor, and radiation itself has a much smaller impact than humans. Today, almost all the animals in Chernobyl, photos of which you will find on our website, have increased their numbers.
On this moment, after thirty years of freedom, the animals in Chernobyl, who live in the most closed zone for visiting and living, live for their own pleasure. They are not afraid of people, and nature itself has become a natural nature reserve with real wildlife.
About a big animal and plant diversity Scientists have reported this before, but have always drawn conclusions only on the basis of facts. Scientists hoped that the population of such unique objects as animals from Chernobyl would become clear from the number and nature of their tracks. But today our scientists have not only been able to conduct a simple examination of animal tracks.
The development of technology has made it possible to install hidden cameras in the Red Forest, where local animals mainly live. Thanks to this, it became possible to take photos of Chernobyl animals and find out how much Chernobyl animals were exposed to radiation and whether the increased background radiation affected their appearance.
What the Research Says
He suffered the most from the consequences of the Chernobyl accident. The second most contaminated place with radiation substances with a large number of wild animals was the Polesie Radiation-Ecological Reserve, located on the territory of Belarus.
American scientists from the University of Georgia decided to independently conduct research on the animal world in radiation-contaminated areas. They were the first to install cameras on the territory of the reserve. Three dozen digital cameras provided a viewing area of more than 2,100 square kilometers. The cameras worked around the clock in order not to lose sight of even the smallest representatives of the animal world.
In order to attract animals to the cameras and examine them in more detail, scientists resorted to one fairly simple trick: camouflage. Since animals are scared away by unfamiliar objects, the cameras were hidden under the bark of trees, covered with leaves, and also lubricated with fat, which attracts wild animals.
After all the data from the video cameras was received, scientists documented all the animals that appeared in the frame, their number and regularity of appearance. The scientists published their research, and most importantly, the results in a local publishing house. The results of the study showed that radiation affects animals much less than humans.
During the period of time when the video cameras were working, fourteen species of animals were spotted. All animals spotted in the Belarusian reserve also live in the Chernobyl Red Forest.
From all the research, even beyond Chernobyl nuclear power plant and exclusion zones, it became clear that all animals feel much better without human intervention and their population is increasing. Radiation practically does not bother them, even though because of this dangerous and deadly radiation they live less and have several times fewer offspring. Based on the totality of all factors, it turns out that radiation is still less dangerous for all types of animals.
How have the animals of Chernobyl changed? Are there any photos of Chernobyl animals?
Today it's quite a large number of radiological researchers, biologists and ordinary tourists visited the Exclusion Zone. Everyone had their own reasons. Some went to the contaminated territory for scientific discoveries, others to confirm past research. Someone put themselves at risk in order to penetrate this topic and visit a frightening, but at the same time attractive area with its mystery and wildness.
Now, neither in reality nor in photographs of animals in Chernobyl, signs of mutation of animals are practically not found. The animals that received the maximum dose of radiation died thirty years later, and new ones were born without obvious external abnormalities. Now the animals of Chernobyl, photos of which have a completely natural appearance, do not surprise or frighten anyone.
The only noticeable mutation that remains in feathered animals (namely swallows) is the unnatural color of the feathers. But these are clearly not two heads or two pairs of wings, as many thought. Naturally, all animals living in the 30-kilometer zone have tens of times the permissible dose of radiation in their bodies, but let’s not forget that these are, after all, animals of Chernobyl.
Famous photos of animals from Chernobyl prove that most of the animals did not receive changes. It is worth paying attention to the fact that after the explosion, tons of radioactive elements were thrown into the air, which later turned into radioactive dust. This dangerous dust was present throughout the Exclusion Zone, due to which the animals of Chernobyl were subject to mutation.
Various changes were recorded by scientists that affected not only animals, but also plants. For example, dwarfism and gigantism were popular mutations. Changes such as the appearance of strange growths and glow were noticed in plants.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW:
Who lives in the Exclusion Zone?
As said earlier, only when entering this mysterious area can we meet animals of extraordinary beauty, and the animals from Chernobyl do not differ in particular changes. It is thanks to wild, free animals that have not been subject to human influence that this area seems like a new, completely unknown world with its magical nature.
Today, the animals of Chernobyl are represented by a large number of species. Among them are majestic and graceful deer, elk, angry wild boars and gentle roe deer. In winter, on snow-covered fields you can see fresh tracks of a lynx or see a real hunt of a gray wolf.
As in any other forest, in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone there are not only the animals of Chernobyl, but also a family of birds. Herons rest in the newly formed swamps, swans and ducks swim gracefully. The most unusual and amazing fact The wildlife of that area are black cranes, which are now quite rare and have become a real miracle for Ukraine.
What is it like – a living “dead zone”?
For all the time, no one in Chernobyl was able to capture a more extreme creature - a zombie. The fact is that the mutated Chernobyl animals, photos of which appeared after the first expeditions to this territory, mostly died. Mutations were incompatible with the life of animals: mutated animals became easy prey for predators. In addition, the majority of animals in the Chernobyl region, as the examinations show, did not undergo mutation under the influence of isotopes.
The Chernobyl zone remains uninhabitable for human life. There, to this day, a high radiation background has remained, which does not allow a person to live safely. Thanks to this, animals can live and develop in peace. And this fact allows the population of each species to expand - to expand in that reserve, which they could not even dream of 50 years ago. After all, it was a real industrial city, developing at a rapid pace.
Scientists were able to calculate exact amount species of animals and birds living in areas prohibited for humans. It turned out that in the dangerous Red Forest, such unusual animals as bears, badgers, bison, lynxes, and otters found a convenient place to live.
The most interesting specimen is the unusually beautiful and rare breed horses like Przewalski's horse. It was they who were brought, it would seem, to a land unsuitable for life, on purpose. If we talk about the birds that remained in the Chernobyl zone, then there are much more of them than mammals. After the latest research was completed, it became clear that a total of 61 species of rare birds live in the infection zone.
Note that mainly wild animals and birds survived in Chernobyl. All livestock, pets and other living organisms, accustomed to living in harmony with humans, could not adapt to life without human care and soon disappeared from this wilderness. Even such popular birds as pigeons do not live in the Chernobyl zone. Here you can really miss civilization, people and the everyday bustle of cities and villages.
The other side of Chernobyl
Chernobyl today and the 30-kilometer zone around it are the most contaminated places with radioactive substances and elements. A person without special protection is not able to adapt to life here. We do not consider those people who nevertheless became an exception, because there are so few of them that there are not even 50 people.
For animals, the absence of people had the best effect, because human activity, together with the development of industry, poisons living nature. Even if we exclude such a fact as poaching, people poison living organisms with various pesticides, car exhaust fumes and other problems.
Also, the animals of Chernobyl were able to feel completely safe. After all, with the departure of people, deforestation, plowing of land, construction, industrial and earthworks. Thanks to all this, animals that had not appeared in this area for centuries (or were on the verge of extinction) were able to develop.
After 30 years, the animals have not only adapted to radiation conditions, but are developing, living not only in the forest, but also in an abandoned city. This is what creates a certain uniqueness and originality of this area: the city is full of various buildings with plants breaking through the walls and animals walking freely.
In the Chernobyl zone, a unique ecosystem was able to emerge, where, as mentioned earlier, everything that required human attention and supervision died out and only the real one remained. Live nature. Now even very rare for Ukraine people live in Chernobyl the bats, which have not appeared on the territory of Ukraine for half a century, and this is truly surprising.
Many animals listed in the Red Book of Ukraine have been able to adapt to radiation, which practically does not bother them. Bison, foxes, beavers, otters, roe deer, muskrats, Przewalski's horses and other truly rare animals now live in a territory free from people. Thanks to the fact that hunting had stopped, such rare animals as bears and lynxes were able to appear for the first time in a hundred years.
Problems with the availability of food do not bother such a huge number of animals: a wide variety of insects, reptiles and a huge amount of fish large sizes does not allow even the largest animals to become extinct.
Pets in Chernobyl
It is worth noting that in this area there are seemingly domestic animals such as cats. Now there are not many of them in the restricted area, but they were still able to adapt. Initially, people left and did not think at all about how their pets would survive. The cats first waited for their owners, who were supposed to feed them and “love” them. But after some time, the rather hungry animals realized that they themselves needed to look for food for themselves.
At first, domestic animals were shot on the assumption that loneliness would cause rabies, which would lead to infection of other animals. This went on for some time. Until settlements near the territories adjacent to Chernobyl began to be destroyed by pests such as mice and rats. Only after this did the fighters come to their senses and stop shooting. Many cats were killed or died on their own because it was quite difficult for domestic cats to adapt to such conditions and radiation. Now these animals can hardly be called domestic: these cats are afraid of people (tourists) and do not approach them, but they are friends with other animals.
Fauna and civilization
Thirty years have passed since the accident. During this time, the territory is unsuitable for human life, was able to “shelter” a huge number of different living beings. These are not some kind of radiation mutants, but full-fledged animals that live, feed and reproduce both in the city and in the forest. Yes, because of radiation substances, animals live shorter lives and have fewer offspring. But even despite these factors, animals and birds were able to live and develop. Even those animals that were brought specifically to this area were able to survive and develop.
Today it is a natural reserve, which has only one drawback - increased radiation. People who have stopped interfering in this world allow these animals to exist. From everything that is happening, the conclusion suggests itself that no radiation substances are capable of harming nature as much as humans and their livelihoods.
Today, within a radius of tens of kilometers from a nuclear power plant, it is not so easy to meet a person, but, as new studies show, there are plenty of wild animals in the exclusion zone. Scientists from the Savannah River Ecological Laboratory (University of Georgia) studied and counted Chernobyl fauna using camera traps.
The results of the research, led by James Beasley, were published in the journal Frontiers, which specializes in environmental issues and conservation. environment. The scientists' work confirmed a long-standing assumption that the number of animals in the exclusion zone does not decrease even in places of significant radiation contamination.
In previous studies on this topic, published in the fall of 2015, the number of animals was determined by counting their tracks. Beasley's group used a more modern technique based on remote photography. It is noteworthy that Beasley's data are in good agreement with earlier studies.
“We placed cameras in a strict order throughout the Belarusian section of the exclusion zone,” says Beasley. “Thanks to this, we now have photographic evidence to support our conclusions.”
The study was carried out over five weeks at 94 sites using 30 cameras. The devices attached to trees worked for 7 days in each location. To attract animals, camera traps emitted the smell of fatty acids.
Sarah Webster, a Beasley graduate student, set up the devices about three kilometers apart to ensure the animals visited no more than one camera trap per day.
Scientists recorded each animal species captured in the photographs, as well as the frequency of their appearance. Wherein Special attention Beasley's group focused on carnivores because of their special place in the food hierarchy. By closing the food chain, predators are most at risk of radiation contamination. They not only eat animals living in the exclusion zone, but also receive radioactive substances from the environment - soil, water and air.
Scientists managed to capture 14 species of mammals in photographs. Most often, wolves, wild boars, foxes and raccoon dogs, widespread on the Eurasian continent, were caught on camera lenses. According to Beasley, these animals were most often found precisely in those parts of the exclusion zone where radiation contamination was maximum.
In further research, Beasley plans to find out how living in the exclusion zone affects the physical condition and life expectancy of animals.
On April 26, 1986, the world shuddered from terrible news - an “explosion at a nuclear power plant.” A sad event that radically changed people's lives happened on Chernobyl nuclear power plant, located just 2 km from the city of Pripyat and 20 km from the city of Chernobyl, Ukrainian SSR (modern Ukraine).
A huge mass of radioactive elements was released, infecting everything that came in its way. There were long debates about: who is to blame, and what will happen next to everyone caught in the infection zone? Then it was a real tragedy, the echoes of which continue to remind themselves every now and then even today, almost 30 years later.
But not only people suffered as a result of that terrible disaster - defenseless wild animals suffered no less, which, naturally, faded into the background during the evacuation of residents.
How does the fauna of the exclusion zone live today? It must be said that the population of wild animals, despite the complexity of the situation and the radioactive contamination of forests, water bodies and the animals themselves, is gradually improving. Who lives today in this once deserted area? Let's get a look…
Stray cats are a common sight, as they are in other cities around the world. 
This young bird is clear proof that feathered world still thrives in the exclusion zone. Some scientists even put forward the opinion that birds were able to not only adapt to radiation, but even benefit from it. 
Rabbits, according to local guides, do not need help - they themselves perfectly implement their plans for survival. Photos taken from the Internet.
MOSCOW, April 26 - RIA Novosti. Biologists have uncovered the secret of the survival of many species of animals and birds in the exclusion zone near the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant - it turned out that their body suppresses the negative effect of ionizing radiation on DNA, increasing the level of antioxidants, according to an article in the journal Science of The Total Environment.
"Thanks to our research and others' research at Chernobyl, we now have many examples that there is some balance between the amount of antioxidants in an animal's body and how well its body can protect itself from radiation. Those species of fauna that somehow can control the level of antioxidants, can use this feature of the body to protect DNA from damage,” said Timothy Mousseau from the University of South Carolina in Columbia (USA).
Mousseau and his colleagues, including a number of Russian and Ukrainian scientists, are participating in the international Chernobyl + Fukushima collaboration. As part of the program, biologists, physicists and specialists from other scientific fields comprehensively study the impact of low levels of radiation remaining in the exclusion zone near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and in the vicinity of the Japanese Fukushima nuclear power plant on the health of individual animals and the entire population as a whole.
As scientists say, over the past years they have been able to uncover several interesting and controversial effects. For example, it turned out that increased background radiation causes an increase in the number of mutations among individuals, but it does not affect the health of the population. In addition, it turned out that birds and animals reacted completely differently to low levels of radiation - some birds and mammals noticeably decreased in number, while others, on the contrary, began to flourish due to the absence of humans in their habitat.
In an attempt to find the cause of these differences, Mousso's team made dozens of trips to the exclusion zone and surrounding area of the Fukushima nuclear power plant, and also analyzed data collected by the authors of hundreds of other scientific papers on the topic. A comparison of the results of these studies helped the authors of the article uncover the secret of the survival of some animal species and the extinction of others.
As Musso explains, main reason the appearance of mutations during irradiation is that ionizing radiation contributes to the appearance large number molecules of hydrogen peroxide and other aggressive oxidizing agents that can penetrate the cell nucleus and destroy DNA. To combat them, the body uses various antioxidants - substances that bind to oxidizing agents and neutralize them before contacting the genetic code.
The authors of the article found that the organisms of animals and birds react differently to the appearance of “extra” oxidizing agents. Moreover, even body tissues in the same animals, such as the brain or, for example, the gonads, can respond differently to constant high level background radiation.
The overall picture was this: those animal species whose bodies somehow learned to produce more antioxidants tolerated life in the exclusion zone better and suffered almost no negative effects from low-level radiation, or even benefited due to reduced competition and pressure from predators. In turn, other species, including humans, reacted negatively to it due to their inability to produce more antioxidants.
This conclusion, according to Musso and his colleagues, allows us to say that in the exclusion zone and in the vicinity of Fukushima, a kind of natural selection is currently underway - those animal species that are able to adapt to the increased background and produce more antioxidants survive and thrive.
Illustration copyright BBC World Service Image caption Sergei Gashchak, an employee of the international radioecological laboratory of the Chernobyl Center, began to investigate animal world zones using camera traps
Ukrainian scientists claim that the Chernobyl zone is being restored wild nature- in particular, brown bears, unique to Ukraine, appeared there again.
Although, as biologist Sergei Gashchak from the Chernobyl Center for Nuclear Safety, Radioactive Waste and Radioecology told the BBC Ukrainian Service, the state still does not conduct serious research here.
He has been working in the exclusion zone since 1990 and claims that scientific work there is mainly carried out by enthusiasts.
Despite the radiation, the absence of people in the zone does its job: unique species of animals and birds appear there.
The number of moose, deer, wolves, lynxes, as well as Przewalski's horses, which were brought here in the nineties, is growing.
Illustration copyright BBC World Service Image caption Rare black storks have begun to populate the exclusion zone and are often caught in camera trapsGashchak calls obtaining photographic evidence of the appearance of long-lost brown bears in the area a real discovery.
The scientist insists that a nature reserve should be created on the territory of the zone, and not return these lands to economic use.
Return of the Bear
The appearance of brown bears in the zone was a real sensation, because they had long since disappeared from this area.
“In the late 1980s, there was almost no evidence of the presence of brown bears in northern Ukraine,” Sergei Gashchak told the BBC Ukrainian Service.
Illustration copyright BBC World Service Image caption Camera traps recorded in the Chernobyl zone brown bearIn the 90s, Russia successfully carried out a program for the reintroduction of animals into the Bryansk forests, and this contributed to the arrival of bears in the zone.
“My colleagues and I recorded the first traces of a bear in 2003, but then they didn’t believe these materials,” complains Sergei Gashchak.
New technologies have made it possible to prove the appearance of bears.
“The brown bear was recorded by our camera trap in the western part of the zone. For several years I changed the areas where they were placed, and here’s my luck,” Gashchak says with delight.
"Magic" camera traps
In Ukrainian conditions, when the state underfunds science, camera traps are a real luxury.
“I had no more than seven camera traps, at first I bought them myself - it’s good that the management didn’t prohibit it,” the scientist shares his memories.
Camera traps automatically record all heat-emitting objects that move at a distance of up to 10-15 meters.
For several years he bought the equipment himself, although one camera trap costs at least 150-200 dollars.
Illustration copyright BBC World Service Image caption A pack of wolves hunted an adult deer for three days right next to a camera trap.They allowed, in addition to the brown bear, to record deer, elk, lynxes and wolves.
“We recently shot unique footage of how a pack of wolves hunted a deer for three days and finally killed it, for us this is something incredible,” explains Sergei Gashchak.
Filming such a hunt in the wild is considered rare.
Since November 2014, together with British scientists, he launched a project for comprehensive photographic recording of animals in the zone.
Thanks to the help of Western partners, 42 camera traps were installed.
On enthusiasm
Sergei Gashchak complains that the state does not allocate money for research into the wild nature of the zone, and does not conduct comprehensive surveys here.
Illustration copyright BBC World Service Image caption According to Sergei Gashchak’s calculations, there may be about one and a half thousand deer in the zoneHe admits that his wildlife research is not officially the main focus of the center's work.
“The budget for our research center is 7,500 hryvnia per month. This is not even enough to pay for electricity in the office. We exist due to some grants, agreements and contracts,” says the researcher.
“It’s hard to say exactly how many animals there are here and how they live. In the zone there are no specialist scientists officially involved in nature. All the work here is the work of enthusiasts,” says Sergei Gashchak with sadness in his voice, showing the places where he set traps in exclusion zone.
In contrast, according to him, more than forty scientists of this profile work in the Belarusian part of the zone.
Statistics on fauna have not been kept in the zone for the last twenty years, so Sergei Gashchak himself makes his conclusions based on indirect evidence.
“As a zoologist and biologist, I have been working here since 1990. Therefore, I have an idea of 99% of the vertebrate species that may be in the zone,” says the researcher.
Fauna of the zone
Illustration copyright BBC World Service Image caption Lynxes feel good in the Chernobyl zoneAccording to the scientist’s calculations, in the Ukrainian part of the exclusion zone there are two types of large predators: wolves and lynxes.
Each of the populations of these species in the summer consists of more than one hundred individuals. Lynxes and wolves occupy different habitats in the zone.
There are much more deer and elk in the zone. According to Gashchak, there are about one and a half thousand deer here, and there may be the same number of elk.
Illustration copyright BBC World Service Image caption Unusual raccoon dogs also thrive in the areaAt a certain period there were several thousand in the zone wild boars, but now the population has decreased to natural levels.
“The density of animals in the zone is not sufficient for them to be easily seen from the roads. It corresponds to the resources of nature that make it possible to live here,” Sergei Gashchak explains the reason why it is very difficult to photograph an animal without camera traps.
In the village of Krasnoye in the north of the zone, where perhaps the strongest radiation is, we find an animal trail.
Illustration copyright BBC World Service Image caption In summer, lynx cubs are often caught on cameraThere are many traces of a large wolf, wild boar and hare in the fresh snow.
Here, in the swamp, a large flock of black grouse was accidentally startled - they quickly fly away from the road.
It’s easier to see Przewalski’s horses in the zone, which were brought here in the nineties.
They have taken root here, and now the population of animals has exceeded one hundred individuals. At the same time, one herd switched to Belarusian territory and settled there.
A herd usually contains one male, as well as a group of mares and foals. Adult males expelled from the herd temporarily unite in groups, but mostly live alone.
Illustration copyright BBC World Service Image caption There may be more than a hundred wolves in the zone“On our side of the border there are now 7-8 herds, each of which has less than a dozen animals. There are also wandering males,” says Sergei Gashchak.
We spent an hour in the car looking for a herd of horses, but to no avail. But on the way, we scared away a group of moose, which quickly disappeared behind the dense forest, which overgrown everything and everyone in the zone.
According to Sergei Gashchak, many “Red Book” black storks have appeared in the zone, which like to settle away from people.
14 species are recorded in the exclusion zone bats, three of which are listed in the international “Red Book”: “giant moth”, “broad-eared bat” and “pond bat”.
"I can't talk about big things. negative impact radiation on animals, serious research is needed,” says the scientist and claims that radiation does not interfere with the revival of the nature of the exclusion zone.
Illustration copyright BBC World Service Image caption Horses released in the zone quickly adapted and multipliedIn the zone, with funds from European colleagues, they wanted to launch a project to study the effects of radiation on individual animals.
They planned to hang collars with dosimeters, but due to bureaucratic problems they did not receive permission and postponed the project.
Future of the zone
In 1998, two bison were brought into the zone, but they subsequently died.
According to Sergei Gashchak, this happened due to the scientists’ miscalculations: the animals were released into the pen.
"If they were released like horses, then they could survive. First the female died, then in this pen, where there was no necessary conditions and feed, the bull also died,” recalls Sergei Gashchak.
The Ministry of Ecology is maturing a plan to create a national nature reserve in the Chernobyl zone. Documents have already been prepared Sergiy Gashchak, scientist
In the zone good conditions to restore bison, because they lived in these territories before extermination.
However, the authorities do not agree to new project with bison until a specialized unit responsible for wildlife is created here.
Now there are two approaches to what to do with the zone: create a reserve or return part of the land to economic use.
“The Ministry of Ecology is maturing a plan to create a national nature reserve in the Chernobyl zone. The documents have already been prepared,” said the researcher, noting that the project is still up in the air.
Illustration copyright BBC World Service Image caption Moose are interested in camera traps and love to lick themThe territory of the zone should become biosphere reserve, with the exception of some central regions, where nuclear power plant facilities are located.
Here it would be possible to create systems for monitoring and protecting wildlife.
"This is the ideal and smartest option, a chance to observe wildlife. Here diversity and species composition animals and plants, as well as natural connections,” the researcher sums up.