The damage caused by the Chernobyl explosion in Pripyat, Ukraine, released 400 times more radioactive material into the atmosphere than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Of course, not only humans but also animals were harmed by this radiation.
Thousands of animals such as birds, cats and dogs were abandoned in the region. New studies, on the other hand, reveal scientific developments about the dogs of Chernobyl and try to touch their lives. Here are the forgotten dogs of Chernobyl.
When the nuclear power plant exploded in Chernobyl, people had to leave behind all animals, especially pets.
When the Chernobyl disaster happened, one of the most terrifying events in human history, people started to leave the city hastily and left the animals to their fate, never to return. Thus, the animal population in the region increased considerably.
The Soviet government, wanting to intervene in this situation, sent an army to reduce the population of animals in the region. All of the animals in a 30-kilometer zone would be “culled,” to the softened name, in short, killed. However, this plan was never fully realized. There were many more animals than expected, some of them survived.
Dogs living in the area still carry radiation, and the lucky ones survive up to 4 years old.
Right now; charities and their volunteers continue to work to save the lives of the dogs there. Many dogs allow human contact, but none fully trust a human, they say.
Volunteers capture the dogs in the area and bring them to a clinic 300 meters from the old nuclear power plant, where they measure the degree of radiation exposure of the animals.
It’s actually pretty easy to save them from radiation.
The radiation that paw children have is not permanent. When they wash and shave, they get rid of the radiation they carry. They are then vaccinated, sprayed, neutered, and released by clinicians.
The lucky ones are sometimes adopted by people. Unfortunately, since the demand for breeds is higher, stray dogs, which we also call “comar” breed, are less likely to find a home.
Currently, almost 600 dogs still live in the restricted area.
When we think about adopting an animal, we can touch their lives by choosing the more disadvantaged ones instead of the animals that have a high chance of finding a breed or a home.
People who adopted 43 dogs from Chernobyl last year, not preferring the breeds they gave birth to in pet shops or their neighbors/friends; they share their home with the animals that are the forgotten face of disasters and they think that this is the best decision they have made in their lives.
Another interesting bonus information: Chernobyl dogs are genetically different from other free-breed or purebred dogs due to the radiation they are exposed to.
Scientists still continue their research on this subject.
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