Chernobyl Dogs Defy Science and Radiation

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274 – September, 2025

By Amy Fernandez

It’s hard to believe that canine evolution was, until quite recently, routinely disregarded by mainstream science. They saw absolutely no possible value in such investigations. For instance, archeology proper, which commenced back in the eighteenth century routinely discarded tons of canine artifacts that consistently turned up at every site of human habitation. So much valuable information went in the trash. Eventually, science woke up to the remarkable insights that could be gained through research into canine evolution. Better late than never because canine adaptability and genetic mutability is an ongoing process. It has plenty more to teach us. Dogs have successfully adapted to challenging environments with temps ranging from frigid to scorching. And now we may be witnessing the most astounding feat of canine genetic adaptation.

The Chernobyl nuclear power plant explosion is a fairly standard bit of history but just in case anyone missed it, the disaster ranks as the world’s largest and most lethal nuclear spill. In the days following the accident emergency evacuations displaced over a million residents but plenty of dogs were left behind. There is no accurate record of the number of pets abandoned–which remains true of all aspects of the Chernobyl civilian evacuation. No one was officially informed of the details then, but the world eventually learned about a substantial feral dog population roaming around the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant or CNPP. The site was and still is highly contaminated; theoretically those conditions are incompatible with life.

Flora and fauna were immediate casualties. Miles of surrounding forestland burned to a crisp. Anything remaining quickly died from the aftereffects. Abandoned horses and livestock stranded along the Pripyat River near the power plant predictably succumbed to radiation poisoning. Wildlife that did survive the initial spill eventually demonstrated the deadly effects.

Click here to read the complete article
274 – September, 2025

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