The area surrounding the old Chernobyl nuclear power plant is now teeming with wildlife and serves as an ideal location for scientific research.
Nearly 40 years ago, on April 26, 1986, the explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine marked a horrific tragedy in human history. Toxic clouds spread, exposing approximately 8.4 million people to nuclear radiation. Over 250,000 individuals developed cancer, and around 100,000 cases resulted in death.
Wildlife in the Chernobyl area. (Photo: University of Georgia).
The Soviet Union established the “Chernobyl Exclusion Zone”, covering 2,700 km2 around the plant, erecting a fence with a radius of about 30 km and prohibiting residents from accessing the area due to contamination. In addition to the human suffering that persists, the Chernobyl disaster devastated the landscape, causing significant damage to living organisms and infrastructure.
In 2016, the United Nations designated April 26 as International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day to continue supporting affected communities, honoring human lives, and reflecting on lessons learned from the disaster to strive toward a more sustainable future.
Radiological ecologists view places that humans have evacuated, such as Chernobyl, as a rare opportunity to study what happens when humans leave a landscape. “Radiation is present around us at very low levels. By studying the effects of exposure and using these landscapes as models, we can gain further insights into the broader impacts beyond Eastern Europe and Japan (where the Fukushima nuclear disaster occurred in 2011)”, said Jim Beasley, a researcher at the University of Georgia, as quoted by Interesting Engineering on April 26.
Chernobyl experienced significant human loss, but ecologists were astonished to discover that wildlife had taken over the area. The absence of humans allowed vegetation to flourish, overtaking architectural structures. Animals returned, establishing habitats in what were once homes, office buildings, or schools. Many places in Chernobyl today resemble a nature reserve – something that was previously unimaginable.
“Decades have passed since the disaster, radiation levels have decreased due to radioactive decay, and we are witnessing the resurgence of a diverse community of wildlife in the exclusion zone,” Beasley noted. Although wildlife populations are thriving, researchers remain unclear about how radiation affects animals, even in small amounts. Therefore, they aim to gather more data.
The presence of important predator species in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, including wolves, helps
scientists observe that wildlife is thriving in the contaminated area. (Photo: Jim Beasley).
A team of experts at the University of Georgia developed specialized collars for animals to study radiation in areas uninhabitable for humans and dangerous to enter. This method is suitable because they cannot relocate wildlife, especially after they have been exposed to radiation.
In 2012, Beasley and a group of international researchers traveled to Chernobyl to fit collars on wolves in the exclusion zone. The collars quickly collected data and transmitted it to computers via satellite.
At that time, Beasley and other scientists shared a common belief that populations would decline significantly in areas with higher levels of contamination. However, when they fitted collars on wolves in the exclusion zone and initiated other studies to estimate populations, they found this belief to be completely incorrect.
Populations of large mammals have increased since humans left. They are widely distributed throughout the exclusion zone, including heavily contaminated areas around the old plant. “Species like the Eurasian lynx and brown bear have naturally invaded this region,” Beasley stated. Surprisingly, Chernobyl has even become a safe haven for scientists to reintroduce threatened species, such as European bison and Przewalski’s horse.
No amount of solace can alleviate the losses that the Chernobyl disaster has inflicted on humanity. However, the fact that wildlife seems to still survive, and even thrive, nearly 40 years later provides a hopeful perspective. Scientists can also continue to use this site to develop new tools and conduct meaningful research on radiation.
