The Animals of Chernobyl

For anyone that grew up in the 80's, the Chernobyl accident in 1986 was a huge news event. The nuclear reactor in Chernobyl, which is located in what is now Ukraine, suffered a meltdown which ejected a huge plume of radioactive material into the sky.

The radiation that was released still haunts the area almost 30 years later. In this story, we see biologist Timothy Mousseau exploring the wildlife of the 1000 square mile uninhabited zone. While it looks like nature has reclaimed this area that was once inhabited by people, a closer look reveals a different story. Though wildlife has returned the biodiversity in the area is about half of what it should be, meaning many types of wildlife are not living there.

Another issue is the mutations being found in the creatures living in the shadow of Chernobyl. The radiation that remains in that area caused mutations in animal behavior and the actual animals themselves. With the recent Fukashima Reactor meltdown in Japan, it is important that we learn from the mistakes we have made that have damaged our environments.

The video does allow us a glimpse into a world that we would not otherwise be able to visit.

Here is another video available on YouTube. It is special that Discovery Channel did a few years ago that looked at the Chernobyl area and how wildlife had reclaimed it.

Chernobyl image from: http://cdn0.cosmosmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/Chernobyl%20nuclear%20meltdown%20radiation.jpg