The Last Dogs From Chernobyl
Despite the nuclear disaster in central Ukraine, which at that time still belonged to the USSR, 300 dogs still live in Chernobyl ; most of them overgrown. You only get help from tourists who come to this area.
The Chernobyl catastrophe remains in the collective memory of humanity decades later. But we cannot forget some of their most inspiring survivors. We’re talking about the Chernobyl dogs.
In 1986 one of the most serious environmental and human disasters occurred, the most catastrophic nuclear accident man has ever experienced.
On April 26 of this year, the Ukrainian factory overheated, emitting 500 times more radiation than Hiroshima.
While fleeing Chernobyl, 31 people were killed directly and more than 100,000 people were evacuated. An air pollution control plan was also drawn up that isolated 30 kilometers around the nuclear power plant.
Nevertheless, millions of people have lived in areas with more or less severe contamination.
Chernobyl a haven for wild animals?
Although there is now a 30,000-ton mantle to replace the previous protection measures, there is still a restricted area. Some people still live there illegally. It seems that biodiversity is also returning here .
After the disaster, the pine trees around the factory died and turned red and gold in color. That is why one speaks here of the red forest.
Many animals died or lost their ability to reproduce. However, this forest later became a haven for wildlife.
There is no human activity here, so wildlife has a large area all to itself. It was even proposed to make it a nature reserve. Because despite the catastrophe, biodiversity has increased.
Bears, lynxes, wolves and endangered birds of prey have recaptured their territory and found a new home here.
But that’s not as idyllic as it sounds. Because most of the animals here have a very low life expectancy and suffer from deformities that hinder their reproduction.
Some changes are surprising: For example, the radiation contamination changed the pattern of the spider webs.
The harsh conditions of the Chernobyl dogs
However, there are many animals that have confiscated the old roads devastated by the nuclear disaster, mostly dogs. The offspring of dogs that could not leave the contaminated area managed to survive in the ashes.
These dogs did not have an easy life. Their parents were separated from their owners, who saw them go on forever. Meanwhile, their cubs have had to live with wildlife without human help.
For example, Tarzan is a puppy whose mother was devoured by the wolves. Now he’s helping the Chernobyl tourist guides.
The conditions are not easy either. In addition to the high radiation, there are very hard winters without any protection.
Most Chernobyl dogs only live to be six years old because of the radioactive debris in their bodies .
In fact, many animals were euthanized after the disaster. However, some managed to survive and today it is estimated that there are more than 300 wild dogs in an area of 2,600 square kilometers.
The Chernobyl dogs are over the population, so most of them have no owners.
The guides, the hope of the Chernobyl dogs
Fortunately , the dogs are supported by the tour guides and the scarce tourist infrastructure in the region. You will therefore be near one of the cafés that attracts tourists.
The guides have also set up small animal shelters that become oases where dogs have a roof over their heads to survive the tough Ukrainian nights. However, local residents regret that there is no humanitarian aid for these pets.
Tourists love the dogs and are worried about them. Due to the radioactivity, however, some tour guides disdain them. But most of them cannot resist the charms of these animals.
A future for the Chernobyl dogs
Some NGOs like the Clean Futures Foundation help by setting up veterinary clinics to vaccinate the dogs against diseases like rabies or parvovirus.
A clinic was even opened in the facilities of the old factory. The few inhabitants of the region can have their animals vaccinated there. They are also sterilized here to allow birth control.
Unfortunately, they cannot be rescued from the area because they pose a risk to human health. The goal is not to have dogs in Chernobyl, because this only means suffering for the animals.
