What do animals look like in Chernobyl? Photos of mutant animals of Chernobyl
Mutant animals of Chernobyl. Photo. Panoramas of Chernobyl.
Many reports of deformed and strange animals near Chernobyl can be found all over the Internet, indicating that radiation is having a profound effect on the animal population.
Of course, some serious mutations were noticed immediately after the accident. Modern animals, however, generally do well, although their internal radiation levels are higher than most.
They do not suffer from significant genetic mutations, although some species do have problems.
For example, some birds developed smaller brains, and some rodents had smaller litters or did not live as long.
In fact, animal populations seem to be doing better now than they used to be when people were farming there.
However, scientists continue to debate what the long-term effects of exposure will be on the animals that live there.
A scientific approach to the issue of mutations
After the Chernobyl accident, the number of changes in the somatic cells of humans and animals clearly increased. Moreover, this happened not only in the Chernobyl zone, but in other regions.
It has not been reliably revealed what this is connected with. Irradiation can affect somatic cells in two directions:
- Increase the frequency of changes in somatic cells
- Slow down the body's defense system aimed at eliminating such changes.
Nature has diverse selection systems, they work very efficiently. Such systems combat mutations that occur in germ cells, and that is why these mutations are so difficult to detect.
Ukrainian scientists have discovered an increase in mortality in laboratory mice that were exposed to radiation in the Chernobyl exclusion area, at the very initial stage of embryo formation and before its implantation into the uterus.
As a result of culturing early embryos that were obtained from irradiated mice, it was discovered that in some experimental subjects the periods of egg cleavage were delayed.
It is reliably known that cell division may be delayed due to damage in the genetic material.
Perhaps for this reason, it is at the early stage of development that the death of embryos that carry mutations occurs.
Such a protective system of the body could have worked in the case of human mutants from Chernobyl; they simply were not born, although no one recorded spontaneous miscarriages in pregnant women of that period.
If miscarriages occurred, they most likely occurred because:
- gametes are not created from premeiotic damaged cells
- embryos with these cells die in the early stages of division
- the cells are unable to implant.
Radiation affects heredity; intense radiation exposure can be used for forced sterilization.
Everyone knows that radiation initiates mutations, but the development of these mutations has only a theoretical basis:
- Radiation is far from the only mutagen, so it makes no sense to blame it alone. Many chemical elements have mutagen properties, of which the most famous and widespread is ethyl alcohol; the term “drunken conception” is common among doctors.
- Scientists have not fully studied how much the probability of mutation depends on the intensity and total dose of radiation.
- It is not known how mutations are expressed at the phenotypic level. After all, the number of mutagens is so great that every damage to the genome would lead to congenital deformity.
From all this reasoning, we can conclude that in reality, not a single scientist has created or proven the theory of the very occurrence of mutation at the phenotypic level; mutations arise.
The development of this issue would allow humanity to avoid not only the consequences, but also diseases that develop at the genetic level - Down syndrome, autism, etc., because these diseases, or rather the cause of their occurrence, are not known.
It is known for sure that everything that happened is connected with damage to the genome itself, but what is characteristic of this connection still remains a mystery.
Within the framework of scientific research, sadly enough, the Chernobyl exclusion zone can be considered as a natural big experiment, which may give impetus to many scientific discoveries.
Fish are mutants of Chernobyl. Photo
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Animals are mutants of Chernobyl. Photo
Once the forced evacuation of about 336,000 people was completed (in fact, about 300 people were not evacuated and continue to live in the contaminated area), it became a kind of desert.
In the short term, nothing really flourished. Gradually, researchers ventured to collect data and discovered growing populations of animal and plant life.
It is obvious that most of the images on the Internet are fakes - either not from Chernobyl, or from video games, movies, photoshop, or completely unrelated.
However, some mutations occurred:
On farms in the Narodichi region of Ukraine, for example, in the first four years after the accident, about 350 animals were born with gross deformities, such as missing or extra limbs, missing eyes, heads, ribs or deformed skulls.
Take, for example, the piglet in the photo who suffered a severe congenital deformity called dipygus.
Yes, those are extra limbs on the back... it looks like something like an insect...
Lately I’ve been hearing more than once that there are fewer animals in the zone. Supposedly, he is not seen as often as he once was. But is this so?.. Perhaps I agree. Sometimes, during the whole day of the trip, no one will catch your eye. But the problem is not a drop in the number of animals, but a decrease in our ability to see them. It became more difficult for us to observe him. The Chernobyl zone is becoming more and more forested from year to year, yesterday's growth is today a young tree stand. Roads sank into “tunnels”, meadows turned into groves and woodlands. Many people clearly underestimate this, but our eyes are not x-rays.
Moreover: whether now or 10-15 years ago, there was no beast behind every bush. This is not the Serengeti Park, this is the south of the taiga zone, charming in its modesty. There is exactly as much here as there can be. No one here is “pressuring” the beast, but no one is breeding it either. Our brain has always been distinguished by its ability to “filter”; the insignificant and monotonous do not linger in memory, but the unusual and bright - on the contrary. That’s why it seems that before it was “bigger and better.”
In general, there is no reason to worry. There is a lot of wildlife in the zone, and some species have clearly increased. And these beliefs are entirely supported by the results of automatic photography.
Let me remind you that in order to describe the fauna of individual areas of the Chernobyl zone, we resorted to the use of modern camera traps. Such a “device”, the size of a palm, hangs on a tree and regularly records everyone who passes by it: be it day or night. The first year's experience was unexpectedly successful. The forests, supposedly “deserted” during visits, were in fact full of life. Ungulates and predators, creatures large and small, four-legged and feathered - the cameras filmed them all impartially. Many of the photographs not only turned out beautiful, but also spoke very eloquently about the secrets of wild nature.
In June 2013, it was decided to move the equipment to a new site. In order to maintain the “secrecy of the investigation,” I will only say that these are very wild lands, although they are not so far from the “epicenter” of human activity. In many respects, there is a real nature reserve there. For more complete coverage of habitats, we placed cameras deep in the forest, at the edge of the forest, and in the meadow. The idea was not only to identify the species composition of animals, but also to describe what changes occur throughout the seasons in each of the biotopes. The finish line is still far away, but the cameras have already captured tens of thousands of frames, and we have something to brag about!
The most “slaughter” shots are again associated with lynx. It was noted in all five points, scattered over an area of about 25 km2, and there were at least two adult females with lovely kittens and at least two adult males. This is a much higher density than we expected. No less impressive was the fact that the lynx, contrary to my beliefs, is quite active during daylight hours and is not at all embarrassed by the presence of a “foreign object.” This is a delightful beast, a decoration of our region!
Female lynx with a kitten at a forest watering hole
Male lynx walking around the hunting grounds
Other cool shots feature a family of cranes. Another “red book” in our treasure chest. It so happened that I met them even earlier, in early June, when the chick was very small. What a surprise it was that they finally got to one of the cells (about a kilometer there), then returned a month later, and, moreover, they staged a real “photo shoot” with dancing in front of the camera! Super!
Master class on “dancing” with cranes
Another protected, but quite common animal in the zone is the otter. Unexpectedly, I installed one of the cameras right next to her site. And if I were a river otter (scientific name), I would never live here, but she knew better. The camera recorded the agile animal both day and night. It’s hard to say how many of them there are; otters are sociable animals, but there was always only one individual in the frame.
The river otter is one of the common inhabitants of wetlands
Another rare species.
As for the spotted eagle (probably a small one), several times over three months it descended to the same place in the middle of the forest, to an area where there was not even a gap among the trees, and wandered back and forth there. Why is a mystery. Although there was a puddle nearby, he did not show the slightest interest in it.
(Lesser) Spotted Eagle
The rest of the trophies were much more ordinary. Raccoon dogs are the undisputed leaders in photography. A significant proportion of the frames contained moose and deer, and a noticeably smaller proportion contained roe deer. For a long time, if boars appeared, they were either solitary cleavers or small groups of men, and only in late summer and early autumn did maternal herds appear, full of pig dynamics. There were other animals: badger, marten, mink, hare, hare, beaver, bittern, blackbirds, tits, shrike, mallards, tawny owl, insects.
Male roe deer
Boar in a mud bath
Elk at a watering hole
Raccoon dogs are the most common objects in the frame
The growth of offspring is perhaps one of the most wonderful features of summer photography. Weak, touching and vulnerable creatures gradually gain strength, and if the care of their parents and luck do not bypass them, they turn into arrogant and no longer so attractive teenagers. This summer, the rapid growth of “other people’s children” was observed in many inhabitants (lynxes, cranes, wild boars, moose, deer, roe deer, raccoons).
Raccoon puppies on a walk
Female roe deer with twins
Pig with newborn piglets
A family of wild boars with teenage piglets
Moose with twin babies
The same: 1.5 months later
Unfortunately, not everyone got to grow up. Back in May, we found a suckling elk calf that most likely died of starvation: either it was abandoned by its careless mother, or she died even earlier. There is always at least one reason for this. The Chernobyl zone is the land of wolves. They are always nearby, they often fall into the camera's field of view. Once she filmed elements of a night hunt, when an elk and a wolf ran past the camera within half a minute of each other. In two scenes, wolves ran along with their prey. Alas, in one case, it was the head of a moose calf. It has always been this way and it will be so; this is only one aspect of the multifaceted life of wild nature.
Wolf with the head of a calf
Wolf with deer leg
It is all the more pleasant to discover that many children grow up and are not much inferior to their parents. Meanwhile, the life of wolves is also full of drama. They are opposed by centners of sharp-horned and saber-toothed prey, one movement or blow of which is enough to knock the soul out of any gray predator. And they get along with each other only as long as they recognize the existing hierarchy. Any attempt on order is harshly suppressed; you can be left not only without family and territory, but also pay with your health and life. In one of the series of photographs, we discovered a one-eyed wolf, he confidently ran first in the pack. How this happened, we will not know, but it is clear that full bellies are not a guarantee of the sweetness of life.
The one-eyed wolf runs first in the pack
A family of wolves on a night hunt
Photo hunting also made it possible to identify changes in the territorial behavior of animals. In the first half of summer, the ungulates clearly stayed in relatively small areas. Firstly, the same individuals regularly appeared near the camera, and secondly, if this place turned out to be rich or poor in living creatures, then this was confirmed day after day. But by the end of summer, activity increased, and more and more animals appeared from somewhere. Sometimes this cannot but cause surprise, because... When visiting the same areas, you rarely see anything else except the trails. Why the wild boars came to the forest is quite obvious; in the oak groves they turned over everything they could: they were looking for acorns. But the reason for the activity of horned ungulates, apparently, was preparation for mating battles.
The antlers of deer and elk are one of the most stunning creations of nature, which can be observed either by killing its owner or by placing a camera trap. Honestly, I never thought about how diverse they are, even within the same species. And how huge! To wear such jewelry you need a strong neck! I remember once, in order to take a photo with a deer shed its antlers, I had to really strain myself for just a few seconds of posing.
Deer in the forest
By the way, about the sizes. Viewing a photograph does not allow you to estimate the size of an animal if there is nothing to compare it with. At the same time, sizing information is extremely important. Therefore, having turned on the camera trap, I walk in front of it for some time with a pole with markings, or with some other object. But for demonstration, as it turned out, the presence of people themselves is much more successful. There is already a huge field of possibilities for funny and useful compilations. The most impressive result of such comparisons is the understanding of how huge individual individuals are! It’s worth remembering this, and not only when you plunge into the wilds of Chernobyl land, but also when you think about how its inhabitants live here. It doesn’t take much convincing: large individuals do not grow in unfavorable conditions! To live to an old age, and even in the company of ubiquitous predators, you need the earth to be replete with the necessary resources so that you can “get lost” among your own kind.
Seasoned wolves are quite large animals (photomontage)
Even a person could fit on such horns (photomontage)
It’s better not to meet such a boar (photomontage)
This male deer is at most 3 years old (photo montage)
Photography with automatic cameras also brought some surprises. One of them can hardly be called pleasant, but it reflects the realities of Chernobyl life. No matter how deaf and wild this land is, man penetrates all around and not always with good intentions. At one point the camera captured a poacher. It's surprising that he didn't notice her!
At another point, the camera trap “caught” a dog, a very ordinary one. What was she doing in places so remote from humans that she was looking for adventure? Literally in the next frames, but the very next day, wolves ran along the same route. She'd be lucky if their paths didn't cross!
A dog is an exotic animal in the lens of a “camera trap”
Another discovery made me tense and forced me to approach the installation site very carefully each time. For some reason, the cameras ended up being the hornets' focus. Unfortunately, I already had experience communicating with them and somehow did not want to repeat it. And the hornets, judging by the pictures, often crawled around the camera for a long time, provoking the “shutter” and clogging the memory card. If it had been a film camera, I would have gone broke!..
Some photographs stand out from the crowd; they reflect completely unexpected manifestations in animal behavior. Sometimes they are curious, and sometimes they are simply funny. So, least of all one could imagine that wild boars, if necessary, climb a tree!.. I never thought that among the whole variety of photo heroes, only moose, deer and roe deer are the most distrustful of the camera: they study it for a long time, sniff it, or even they try to lick it, and sometimes they even run away. For some reason, the badger considers it necessary to make his mark exactly at the point where I dropped in a pack of salt, but what’s even more funny is that wild boars often fall out and rub themselves there! Well, a series of photographs of one “exhibitionist” moose, in addition to hysterical laughter, also raises a rhetorical question: well, why is it so difficult in front of the camera?
A wild boar climbs a tree, smelling the remains of carrion fixed there
“I do better this way!”
Overall, the summer season was successful. A lot of informative material was obtained, the chosen area turned out to be very rich: both in living creatures and in interesting finds. And some shots turned out to be so successful that they could please even a sophisticated photographer.
Autumn is ahead, it's time to prepare for winter. We’ll find out how well they cope and what the locals do for this in the next report!
The organizer of research into the wild world of the Chernobyl exclusion zone using camera traps is S.P. Gashchak.
When installing and checking camera traps, the author was assisted by Sergey Paskevich, Evgeniy Gulyaichenko, Alexander Naglov, Ksenia Kravchenko and Egor Yatsyuk.
Only thirty-one years have passed since the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Over these years, the exclusion zone has remained practically uninhabited by people, but favorable conditions have developed here for the development of flora and fauna. Scientists have not yet been able to determine how radiation affects animals and birds, but thanks to cameras they have recorded that many inhabitants have appeared in the forests. There are lynxes, moose, wolves, giant bison and other animals, many of which have long been listed in the Red Book!
Biologist Sergei Gashchak installs a camera to monitor animals.
The idea to learn more about the animal world in the exclusion zone belongs to the Ukrainian scientist Sergei Gashchak. His main job is conducting radioecological research. At the same time, Sergei is interested in studying biology and zoology, which has now become his separate area of scientific interest.
The black stork is listed in the Red Book.
The Lesser Spotted Eagle is a rare bird.
Several years ago, Sergei independently purchased and installed the first ten hidden cameras, which record everything that happens around the clock. The recording starts as soon as any warm-blooded creature approaches the camera at a distance of 10-15 meters. Due to the fact that filming can take place around the clock, Sergei Gashchak received not only photographs of animals whose activity period occurs during the daytime, but also expanded the collection with interesting observations of the life of the nocturnal inhabitants of the forest.
Cranes in the camera lens.
A lynx with a cub came out to the river.
Bears have not lived in these forests for almost a century, but now they are returning.
Local bambi.
Unfortunately, there is no adequate funding for projects to study the natural diversity of the Chernobyl area, so Sergei did a lot with his own funds. True, several years ago French scientists became interested in his research and agreed to assist the project. Using the allocated grant funds, we purchased another four dozen so-called. "camera traps".
A moose and her two babies.
Deer willingly pose for the camera.
The camera captured a bison.
Przewalski's horses in winter.
Over the past years, brown bears and red-listed black storks have returned to the forests, and the population of Przewalski's horses, which were brought here in the 1990s, has increased. In a word, the natural restoration of the animal world began. Since 2016, the territory has been given the status of a radiation-ecological biosphere reserve, scientists are now working here, and it is planned to open a limited number of excursion routes over time.
Photo montage: the size of a deer compared to the height of a person.
Over the course of 30 years, the flora and fauna of the exclusion zone began to recover.
Lynxes have become well accustomed to the zone of environmental disaster.
The deer population numbers about 1.5 thousand individuals.
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The Chernobyl exclusion zone is filled with wild animals. There are a wide variety of species here that thrive in a radioactive environment.
After the Chernobyl accident, animals in Chernobyl not only did not disappear, but rather increased in their population.
This is due to the fact that hunting in the exclusion zone was prohibited after the Chernobyl accident. Animals live in a radioactive environment and eat “dirty” food. Therefore, they themselves pose a radiation hazard to humans.
Scientists are still studying the effect of radiation on animals in the Chernobyl zone. Special camera traps are installed to monitor animals.
Photo: wolves in the Chernobyl zone attack a deer:
As a result of the installation of such camera traps, scientists have many photos of Animals of Chernobyl
Are there mutant animals in Chernobyl?
No mutants were encountered in the exclusion zone. Except for cases of mutation of animals, allegedly associated with radiation. But scientists were unable to prove this. Mutant animals were born long before Chernobyl. But we have collected for you several photos of mutants after Chernobyl
A very interesting species of animal in Chernobyl is Przewalski's horse.
The introduction of Przewalski's horses into the Chernobyl exclusion zone was carried out in accordance with the “Program for creating a free population”, which was developed by specialists from the Askania-Nova Nature Reserve. It was planned to keep the animals in enclosures in the Acclimatization Center created on the territory of the exclusion zone.
In May 1998, 22 Przewalski's horses were brought from the Askania-Nova Nature Reserve.
Now horses still live in Chernobyl.
The animals were released in 1999:
Animals in Chernobyl: life after human departure
Animals of Chernobyl feel calm without humans
Female deer in the exclusion zone:
Bears are very rare. They mainly live in the Belarusian exclusion zone. Although there have been cases of bears entering the territory of the Ukrainian zone:
Raccoon dog:
Wolves live throughout the ChEZ. The animals have no contact with people, but scientists often find their tracks and hear howls in the dense forests of Chernobyl:
The wild boar population in the zone has decreased significantly over the past few years. These animals had one of the largest populations until 2013. Due to the invasion of the disease, the number of wild boars has decreased significantly.
A rare animal of Chernobyl is the lynx. She also doesn't interact with people. Found in the most remote corners of the ChEZ:
Tawny owl. One of the owl species. Often found in the city of Pripyat and abandoned houses in the zone:
The most popular animal is the fox. One of them lives in Pripyat. And tourists call him Semyon. He is not afraid of people, he always runs out to the crowd and waits for treats. Semyon loves cutlets and sausage very much:
Regular gray hare:
Earlier studies in the 4,200-square-kilometer (1,600-square-mile) Chernobyl exclusion zone showed significant radiation effects and pronounced declines in wildlife populations.
But new data based on long-term census data shows mammal populations have bounced back.
Chernobyl: what animals are there?
The study found relative abundance of moose, roe deer, deer and wild boar - with population levels similar to those found in four designated and uncontaminated nature reserves in the region. The number of wolves living in and around Chernobyl is more than seven times greater than in comparable reserves in non-zones.
And data from helicopter surveys also show increasing trends in moose, roe deer and wild boar abundance 1-10 years after the accident.
"This unique data, showing a wide range of animals thriving miles from a major nuclear accident, illustrates the resilience of wildlife populations when they are freed from the pressure of human habitation," said Jim Beasley of the University of Georgia in the United States, who led the work.
Giant catfish mutants of Chernobyl
Fish have not been caught in the exclusion zone for more than a dozen years, which has had a positive impact on the fish fauna of lakes and rivers.
Soma in Chernobyl reaches enormous sizes. Due to the fact that in these areas the fish population does not interfere with humans, the catfish can gain more weight and grow up to 2 meters or more.
Great growth of catfish and a change in its diet, because for such a giant fish, more nutrients need to be consumed in food. Consumption: birds and mammals. People in Chernobyl are not afraid of catfish because they are not that dangerous to people. According to some rumors, catfish in Chernobyl are not averse to being used as food for people.
Is there fishing in Chernobyl?
Since fishing is officially prohibited in Chernobyl and Pripyat, catfish have the opportunity to grow for many years. In ordinary reservoirs, fish are caught, and they do not have time to reach large sizes.
But it is worth noting that fish in the Chernobyl zone is saturated with harmful radionuclides, and eating it is extremely dangerous.
The same cooling pond in which "mutants" live
Photo by Nikolay Onishchenko:
Catfish swims peacefully in the water:
Photo by Nikolay Onishchenko:
The fish are accustomed to being fed bread by tourists.
Photo by Nikolay Onishchenko:
And here's the treat :)
Photo by Nikolay Onishchenko:
Everyone has wondered whether there are mutants in Chernobyl. Since the Chernobyl accident, the zone has become overgrown with thousands of legends that frighten with the most incredible stories about terrible mutant zombies living in the vastness of radioactive lands. But is this true?
On April 26, 1986, an explosion occurred at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, scattering life-threatening radionuclides over hundreds (or even thousands) of kilometers, contaminating the earth for many years.
Because of the accident, hundreds of people died, thousands fell ill with cancer..
Radiation did not spare wildlife either. In the early years, small mutations were observed in newborn animals and humans:
An animal with twisted limbs from birth:
Piglet:
Sick calf:
Sick child:
Human embryo frozen in the womb:
Radiation also had a particularly acute effect on trees. Everyone remembers the “Red Forest,” which completely turned yellow after the accident, having absorbed a large amount of radionuclides. The forest died, but new trees grew in its place, with small mutations:
Plant mutants of Chernobyl
To this day, scientists are studying the effects of radiation and pollution on nature, animals, birds and plants.
Many years have passed since the disaster that happened in Chernobyl. Every year, researchers, scientists and ordinary tourists come to this area to see with their own eyes the changes that have taken place. Many of these travelers say that the animals of Chernobyl are different from ordinary ones. They claim to have seen mutated animals and birds with their own eyes. Scientists, on the contrary, talk about a different picture that is observed in these parts.
Radiation level
Chernobyl and the surrounding area belong to the area where it is considered the highest. In the fateful 1986, the explosion was followed by a fire, all of which together led to enormous pollution within a radius of 40 kilometers. Scientists claim that the consequences of the emissions are equivalent to 20 explosions in Hiroshima. The most powerful isotopes had already decayed, and their remains were absorbed by the soil along with precipitation. Also, Chernobyl animals, plants and mushrooms have absorbed the radiation so much that it no longer affects them, but rather, they themselves have become its source.
Post-disaster zone
Until 1986, infrastructure grew in this area, destroying natural areas and displacing wildlife. But after the accident, when man stopped his activities, the natural environment quickly recovered, a variety of animals returned here, including large mammals. Empty fields, villages, and cities were overgrown with plants and swamped. The animals of Chernobyl felt freedom from humans.
During all this time, scientists captured some animals to check how much radioactive particles they contained in their bodies. In the 90s, the level of cesium-137 in the tested roe deer went off scale, exceeding the norm by 2000 times! More modern studies indicate that in animals this norm is still exceeded by 10 times.
What do the inhabitants of the exclusion zone look like?
Many researchers and ordinary travelers have already visited Chernobyl. Mutant animals have hardly ever been found there lately. Almost all animals have a normal appearance,
which does not scare or confuse anyone. Only in representatives of birds, in particular in swallows, are some mutations associated with coloring found. Of course, all creatures have an increased level of radiation in their bodies, since these are, after all, animals from Chernobyl. Photos taken recently show that most of the animals have not changed in appearance.
It is worth noting that immediately after the disaster, when radioactive dust was still everywhere in the indicated area, mutations often occurred. Scientists have recorded gigantism, dwarfism, and strange growths, but such changes occurred mainly in plants.
Who lives in the zone?
When visiting this territory, you may encounter Chernobyl animals along the way, which attract you with their natural beauty. It is thanks to them that this place seems magical. For example, you can come across graceful deer, whole herds of elk, wild boar and roe deer. You can also see a lynx running in the snow, or see a real wolf with your own eyes. In addition to animals, birds are found here. Entire flocks of herons, swans and ducks live in the newly formed swamps. It is no less surprising that they are found here because now it is a real rarity.
What is the reality
Contrary to the expectations of science fiction writers, no one has ever encountered mutated
animals in Chernobyl. If any animals developed physical abnormalities, they most likely died, becoming food for numerous predators. Evidence indicates that, for the most part, species have not been mutated by isotopes. Due to the strong radioactive background, Chernobyl remains uninhabited by people, thanks to which this zone has turned into a real nature reserve with a huge amount of living creatures. Scientists have worked to count the species of mammals and birds living in the radioactive area. As a result, such rare animals as bears, badgers, bison, lynxes, otters were counted, and even the latter were settled here on purpose. If we talk about birds, there are more species of them than mammals. At the end of the count, it turned out that 61 rare species live in this territory.
But not everyone remained in the exclusion zone. Animals and birds that were accustomed to being near people left this area. Such birds include pigeons and storks.
Man is worse than radiation
Summing up, it can be noted that the animals of Chernobyl turned out to be the most adaptable. Photos taken in this area prove this pleasant fact. In addition, the number of livestock is quite large, from which it follows that almost all animals in the exclusion zone can boast of good health.
During all this time, the animal population in the Chernobyl zone has increased many times. Such data indicate only one thing: for fauna, proximity to humans is worse than radiation.