Pripyat, Ukraine is home to one of the worst nuclear disasters in history. The Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster of 1986 turned this once bustling city into a ghost of its former self in a matter of two days. Now, all that remains are the desolate skyscrapers, small proof that life ever even existed there at all. Until Now.
The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is an area which extends 30 km in every direction around the now defunct Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. The government maintains this zone, and entry has been strictly prohibited to the public for many years following the meltdown. Only very recently have tours begun circulating through the region, offering brave sightseers a glimpse at the consequences of true nuclear fallout. Most tourists that travel to the region expect to see no life at all, but fortunately for the ecosystem, they will now be mistaken.
Enter Maria Shkvyria, a wolf expert at Ukraine’s National Academy of Sciences, who claims that wildlife in the Exclusion Zone is now thriving. Shkvyria, along with other scientists, believes that the lack of human interference in the area has made it a safe haven for a diverse array of wildlife, despite the high levels of radiation. Camera traps set up by the academy have captured images of bison, boars, badgers, raccoons, foxes, and wolves, a startling sight in a once barren wasteland.
Although this population increase is encouraging, scientists are still divided as to whether or not the current levels of radiation still pose a threat to the long term sustainability of the ecosystem. Many believe that the contamination in the surrounding waters and plant life is still too high, and the population increase will begin to level off as animals begin to feel the effects of long term exposure.
In summation, only time will tell, but for now as one scientist put it, “…without humans around, the wildlife seems to be doing alright”.
Link: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/04/060418-chernobyl-wildlife-thirty-year-anniversary-science/
I think this is a very interesting article! It’s quite sad that animals can thrive better in an irradiated wasteland than coexist with humans. As the background radiation continues decreasing below the now-dangerous levels, I wonder if we will see rapid (relatively) evolution at work as the radiation acts as a potent, constant mutagen. Because the wildlife is thriving here, perhaps the long-term exposure of radiation wouldn’t matter due to most animals getting eaten before living long enough to develop cancer.
Similar to our presentation on Yellow Stone, I am interested in seeing how the reintroduction of large, apex predators will have an effect on the ecological system surrounding the Chernobyl area.
If lack of human interaction can lead to a boost in wildlife activity in this region, is it possible to say that this could happen in other areas as well?