A massive explosion occurred, causing the plant to catch on fire and the reactor lid to blow off. Two workers died immediately. Radioactive material spread through the air, contaminating its surroundings, and changing the course of nature for decades to come. We may never know the full effects of the death toll. Estimates range anywhere between 4,000 to 93,000 casualties; a wide range due to the many unknowns of radiation poisoning. But what happened to the rest of the living creatures?

Oddly enough, animal populations thrived in the aftermath. What was once a human wasteland has become a wonderful animal sanctuary. Bison, deer, elk, bears, and foxes have been sighted in large numbers. 

Spanning some 1,600 miles, the Chernobyl atomic zone has accidentally become one of Europe’s largest animal sanctuaries. Government officials have placed motion-detecting traps inside of the area, capturing videos of animals that are thriving in the absence of a human population. 

98% of the fish carcasses were eaten within one week. Scientists took clear photos of otters, minks, and white-tailed eagles, traveling to and from the river’s shore for their meals. This is the first time in history that scientists have observed creatures in the region since the disaster occurred in 1986, conclusively proving the need for animals to scavenge there. 

Unfortunately, unlike the fun big-screen storytelling, these radioactive monsters are just that - gross, giant catfish. Since catfish have notoriously large appetites, they will eat just about anything that is put in front of them. Since there are no natural predators to them in the Chernobyl area, their population has grown in the radioactive cooling ponds. 

However, since they are still not used to seeing humans, they have no hesitation in approaching us. The Red Fox will often walk right up to visitors in the hopes of receiving a tasty treat. 

Due to the lack of human presence and interference with the natural environment, the horse population is also thriving. The horses have successfully bred in multiple generations and paved the way for future populations to expand. 

While we know that the bison population has expanded by 10% since their introduction to the area in 1996, how they are affected by the radiation is uncertain. With a lifespan of twenty-four years, it is difficult to determine if a bison’s cause of death is natural or radiation-induced.

Once again, without humans, there to disturb them and ruin their ecosystem, yet another animal population is thriving. Here is something else to consider. The flourishing wildlife population around them provides the brown bears with a steady food supply. Scientists have begun fitting the brown bear population with collars and tracking tags to study their behavior, migration patterns, and whereabouts. It doesn’t look like these bears are going anywhere anytime soon.

After all, it had fled the area and stayed away for almost fifty years. Recent years have gifted researchers with their presence. Scientists noticed tracks and scratches on trees consistent with their behavioral patterns. Three different Lynx families were seen traversing the zone, most likely hunting for smaller prey. As dedicated carnivores, they were likely drawn to the region by the dense fox and rabbit populations. 

With an abundance of prey, there is a reason why they made this contaminated region their new home. While the success of this wolf population seems to be positive, it also brings a cause for alarm. How will this thriving wolf population affect the future of wolves in this region?

To track them, scientists have fitted wolves with tracking collars and tags. One wolf was followed as far away as Russia, some 250 miles away from the Ukrainian exclusion zone. As the population of wolves living in the radiation zone proliferates, they threaten outside packs. 

As we know, most genetic mutations are harmful. Wolves that are profoundly affected by radiation will not be able to find a mate. They are also more likely to die during long migrations. The most significant concern that scientists have is that the Chernobyl exclusion area has become a population source for Ukrainian wolves. Thus, there is a high probability that many outside wolves are already affected by genetic mutations. More research is underway to assess the situation and propose possible solutions to mitigate this outcome.

Sadly, soldiers were forced to shoot dogs they found who were immediately affected by the nuclear fallout. However, they did not see all of them. Generations of stray dogs survived the atomic fallout, forming packs that continue to breed. Dogs like these stray puppies are plentiful in the Chernobyl area. Thirty-three years later, they are truly native to the area. 

Thankfully, the U.S. nonprofit organization, Clean Futures Fund has a local veterinary clinic. They have provided vaccinations to dogs and puppies they have found as well as spay and neuter services to deter future population growth of domesticated animals. 

Keep in mind though that like any other feral house pets, petting these dogs comes with the risk of rabies. Local veterinarians have done their best to vaccinate every dog that they come across, but it’s impossible to vaccinate them all. Nonetheless, local rescue and charity organizations are doing their best to help these dogs. 

Thanks to scientific reports, animal lovers can rest easy. It is not safe for humans to return to the area for 20,000 years. However, despite the apparent risks to their longevity, a limited number of villagers have ignored advice and returned to their old homes. The Ukrainian government has strictly forbidden these actions, showing conclusive evidence that the radiation links to a high risk of thyroid cancer. Nevertheless, these villagers appear content to live a risky albeit simple life, with no access to electricity, running water, or sewage.

It appears that some insects exposed to the highest levels of radiation have short life spans. However, this has not affected the entire insect population adversely. What does this mean? Here’s the answer in a nutshell. While insects exposed to high amounts of radiation do not live as long as others do, they can reproduce at a fast enough rate to balance out the birth-death ratios. The insect populations live on.

After all, the primary reason why most of these animal populations are thriving is that they do not have a natural predator in their environment. Before 1986, humans (artificially) played the role of the predator through hunting, population expansion, and urbanization. Yes, adaptations have made the natural animal population more resistant to radiation damage. But they will not escape from it unscathed. Remember, we have seen that mutations from radiation can not only cause trouble reproducing but also give way to diseases. 

How does this affect the Chernobyl birds? We are still learning the full effects of radiation in bird mutations. The most straightforward distinction is that young Chernobyl birds have the most significant difference in their brain’s size. A smaller brain necessitates reduced cognitive capacity. More intelligent birds with larger brains will outlive the Chernobyl birds. With this pattern, it is unlikely that the mutation will pass on to successive bird generations in the region. 

Radiation poisoning harms wildlife. The aftermath of the Chernobyl accident was tragic for humans and animals alike. We can’t change the past. But we can actively work to help these animal populations. Studying them and tracking their patterns to prevent the spread of radioactive genetic mutations is one way to help. Scientists have found higher rates of albinism and evident genetic alterations within bird species in the Chernobyl exclusion zone. None of these mutations are beneficial. Albinism is known to impede an animal from finding a mate.
Invertebrates such as grasshoppers, butterflies, and spider populations have considerably died off. The primary reason isn’t what you think it would be. While the high bird population positively contributes to the decline in these invertebrate populations, the real reason ties back to radiation. All of these invertebrates lay their eggs in the soil (which is also polluted with radiation). These insect populations will inevitably display severe mutations caused by genetic abnormalities. 

Long-term studies conducted on the effects of radiation over various species is particularly fascinating. Animals are much more resistant to the harmful effects of radiation poisoning than we initially thought. As you now know, diverse wildlife populations are thriving in the Chernobyl exclusion zone. 

Since scientists lack a control group in the Chernobyl area, it is difficult to determine the level of radiation that causes these mutations. Scientists from the World Health Organization (WHO) weighed in with some interesting observations. They estimate that an additional 4,000 human deaths from cancer should be attributed to the Chernobyl accident. When it comes to animals, things are a little bit more complicated. Germline mutations are declining in areas with less radiation. 

Spiders, butterflies, dragonflies, and grasshoppers have all shown to have reduced population size within the Chernobyl exclusion zone. Scientists know that these numbers have dropped as a direct result of the region’s radiation. With this said, more studies need to be done to understand the adverse effects of radiation on the native insect population. After all, we have minimal information on how evolution functions in the presence of a radiation-polluted ecosystem.

Here is a particularly exciting discovery. The French National Centre for Scientific Research in Paris discovered that certain bird species in the Chernobyl area produce higher than average antioxidant levels. This leads us to believe that they too have evolutionarily adapted to the unnatural environment in which they live. It gets fascinating. The birds with high antioxidant levels do not show the genetic damage seen in those without antioxidant adaptation. 

When poisonous plants are consumed by animals, the animals are exposed to higher amounts of radiation than before. Toxic substances enter their bloodstream. In the prey-predator cycle, radiation continually passes from one organism to the next. Radiation is much higher in some areas of the Chernobyl exclusionary area than in others. Animals that have more mobility (e.g., wolves who migrate and hunt in packs and deer) have been able to feed, drink, and reproduce in areas of lower radiation presence. Somehow, animals have a natural tendency to avoid highly-irradiated areas. Nevertheless, the wolf population continues to thrive. There are more wolves in Chernobyl than in all of Yellowstone National Park.

Individual plants not only adapt to radiation but thrive in it. While humans, animals, and insects can change their environment, plants cannot. Either they adapt to their environment, or they wither away and die. To test the response of plants in the Chernobyl exclusion area, scientists planted soybean and flax, watched them grow, and recorded their seed proteins. 
The results they found were fascinating. Both the soybean and flax plants grew and adapted to their environments equally, albeit in different ways. There was more cell signaling in flaxseeds. In the soybean, the scientists observed an increase of movement within protein seed storage. Both plants reacted the same way in the presence of radiation that other plants did when tested under the presence of heavy metal substances. 

If you didn’t know already, wildfires rapidly spread radiation. Let’s review. Plants absorb radiation through the soil. As they catch fire, the radiation is released and dispersed in the smoke of the fire, which carries through the air for miles. Nine years ago, a wildlife spread that started in Chernobyl spread radioactive substances thousands of miles away. Scientists speculate that if a wildfire became large enough, it could spread its radiation to the United Kingdom.

Red Forest trees that died out in the presence of radiation were quickly replaced with deciduous trees. Leaves shed from deciduous trees revealed a much higher level of acidity than trees outside the irradiated zones. In turn, these acidic leaves change the environment and makeup or microorganisms. Scientists used this example to indicate how human intervention in tree planting altered the ecosystem.