Fauna Journal Entry
Wildlife Thrives at Chernobyl (May 13, 2006)
The Przewalski horse population is growing at Chernobyl in the Ukraine. Wikipedia.
On April 26, 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union) exploded in what was the worst nuclear accident ever to occur on the planet.
The explosion blasted a huge cloud of radiation that spread over much of Europe and beyond. Radiation raining down after the blast contaminated the soil and water for hundreds of miles around the plant. The area closest to Chernobyl was a barren wasteland for years.
Today, wildlife in the Chernobyl area appears to have made an amazing recovery. Visitors can spot a wide variety of animals, including fox, wild boar, elk, beaver, otter, cranes, and eagles. There are over 400 animal species in the area, with 280 kinds of birds and about 50 endangered species.
After the disaster, some scientists predicted that any animals able to survive in the radiation zone would be grossly deformed due to genetic mutations. In fact, wildlife deformed by the radiation died out quickly and never looked as monstrous as predicted. Despite the radiation still present, animals at Chernobyl do not look noticably different from others of their species. But their genetic structure could tell a different story. There could be differences in body chemistry or internal structure not visible on the outside.
Chernobyl's ecosystem went through several stages after the 1986 explosion. Over the first year, most plants and animals died. Over the next decade, the area slowly recovered. New pine forests were planted and slowly got back to normal. Gradually, animal species began to recover as well.
One of best success stories is a rare species called the Przewalski horse. Seventeen of these horses were brought to the Chernobyl area in 1998. Today, there are between 80 and 90. It's one of the few places in the world where the horses are still found in the wild.
Despite the wildlife recovery, signs of the disaster remain. Radiation sensors still detect high levels of radiation. The town of Pripyat remains a ghost town. The rusting remains of equipment and abandoned vehicles still litter the landscape. These serve as haunting reminders of the horrible destruction that took place twenty years ago.
