More than 36 years after the world’s worst nuclear disaster, stray dogs continue to roam among the ruins surrounding the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
Somehow, these stray dogs in the Chernobyl disaster zone in Ukraine have managed to find food, reproduce, and survive.
Scientists hope that studying these dogs can also teach humans new lessons on how to thrive in the harshest and most degraded environments.
Stray Dogs at Chernobyl Exhibit DNA Differences
Stray dogs living near the Chernobyl disaster area in Ukraine – (Photo: AP).
According to Fox News on March 4, the first study on these dogs was recently published in the scientific journal Science Advances.
The study tracked 302 stray dogs living in the exclusion zone following the nuclear disaster.
Through genetic research, scientists have determined that dog populations exposed to different levels of radiation may be genetically distinct from each other, as well as from other dogs around the world.
Geneticist Elaine Ostrander from the National Human Genome Research Institute, a member of the research team, believes they “have a golden opportunity” to lay the groundwork for answering an important question: How do you survive in such a hostile environment for 15 generations?
The environment of Chernobyl after the nuclear plant incident is particularly harsh. On April 26, 1986, an explosion and fire at the power plant released radioactive dust into the atmosphere.
Thirty workers died immediately, while the death toll from radiation exposure is estimated to be in the thousands.
Future Research
Researchers indicate that most of the dogs they are studying may be descendants of pets that residents were forced to leave behind during evacuation.
Mr. Mousseau has been working in the Chernobyl area since the late 1990s and began collecting blood samples from the dogs around 2017. Some dogs live within the power plant, while others live approximately 14 km or 45 km away.
According to geneticist Elaine Ostrander, through DNA analysis, they can easily identify dogs living in areas with high, low, and medium levels of radiation exposure.
“This is a significant milestone for us. And surprisingly, we can even identify different packs,” the expert stated, noting that they have identified about 15 different dog packs.
Now, researchers can begin examining changes in the DNA of these stray dogs.
Dr. Kari Ekenstedt, a veterinary professor at Purdue University who is not involved in the research, stated that this is the first step in answering crucial questions about how continuous exposure to higher levels of radiation affects large mammals.
