Scientists Find Chernobyl Full of Thriving Animals
The word Chernobyl likely conjures up eerie images of buildings long abandoned by residents who fled the nuclear fallout. But the area is far from deserted, as evidenced by a study showing how animals from eagles to mink and otters live there.
After the Chernobyl power plant exploded in 1986, causing the worst-ever civil nuclear disaster, humans abandoned an area spanning 1,000 square miles known as the Exclusion Zone. Since then, scientists have been fascinated by the animals that might inhabit this desolate pocket of Ukraine bordering Belarus.
To study the presence of scavengers specifically, scientists from the University of Georgia tied fish to debris like tree branches in 83 locations along the Pripyat River, and in irrigation canals built by farmers in the early 20th century. The positioning was intended to mirror how fish are naturally transported to the fringes of land by the river. Bait was positioned a minimum of 1,100 yards apart so scavengers didn’t become used to visiting the trial sites. The researchers set up cameras to document the critters that might be lured by the fishy treats.
After a week, 98 percent of the carcacsses had been taken. The footage showed 10 species of mammal and five birds gorged on the fish: Mice, the least weasel, American mink, Eurasian otter, pine marten, racoon dog, red fox, wolf, Eurasian Jay, common magpie, raven, tawny owl and the white-tailed eagle. Across the various experiments, mesocarnivores—animals such as foxes whose diet consists of between 30 to 70 percent meat—were the biggest eaters.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/scientists-find-chernobyl-full-of-thriving-animals/ar-BBThFn7?li=BBnb7Kz
Article doesn't say whether they glow in the dark or not.
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