The site of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant has been abandoned since the 1986 explosion that released radioactive particles into the air, but now a variety of wild animals appear to be thriving in the region.
Scientists observed surprisingly hight numbers of animals such as elk, roe deer, red deer, wild boar, and wolves in the disaster area, Cell Press reported. The findings have implications for both the resiliency of wildlife and the long-term impacts of nuclear explosions such as Chernobyl and the more-recent Fukushima disasters.
"It's very likely that wildlife numbers at Chernobyl are much higher than they were before the accident," said Jim Smith of the University of Portsmouth. "This doesn't mean radiation is good for wildlife, just that the effects of human habitation, including hunting, farming, and forestry, are a lot worse."
Past studies have revealed the presence of major radiation effects and reduced wildlife populations at the Chernobyl site. These new findings suggest mammal populations are finally starting to bounce back. The concentration of a number of mammal species is now almost equivalent to what is seen in four uncontaminated nature reserves in the region; the number of wolves living near the Chernobyl site is more than seven times greater than what is found in said nature reserves.
"These results demonstrate for the first time that, regardless of potential radiation effects on individual animals, the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone supports an abundant mammal community after nearly three decades of chronic radiation exposure," the researchers wrote.
The team noted that helicopter data has shown populations of elk, roe deer, and wild boar trended upwards between one and 10 years following the disaster, and a perceived drop in wild boar populations at one point was traced to a disease not related to radiation.
"These unique data showing a wide range of animals thriving within miles of a major nuclear accident illustrate the resilience of wildlife populations when freed from the pressures of human habitation," said Jim Beasley, a study co-author at the University of Georgia.
The findings were published in a recent edition of the journal Current Biology.
