Chernobyl’s radioactive landscape is testament to nature’s resilience and survival spirit

CHERNOBYL, Ukraine (AP) — The world’s wildest horses roam free in contaminated lands too dangerous for human life.

Across the Chernobyl exclusion zone, Przewalski’s stocky, sand-colored and almost toy-like horses graze on a radioactive wasteland larger than Luxembourg.

There was an explosion on April 26, 1986. nuclear power plant In Ukraine, it spread radiation across Europe and forced the evacuation of entire towns, displacing tens of thousands of people. It was the worst nuclear disaster in history.

Forty years later, Chernobyl, which translates as “Chernobyl” in Ukrainian, still remains very dangerous for humans. But wildlife moved back in.

Wolves now prowl across vast, unclaimed lands Ukrainian and Belarus and brown bears returned after more than a century. Populations of lynx, deer, red deer and even packs of free roaming dogs they came back.

Przewalski’s horses, native of Mongolia and these creatures, once in danger of extinction, were brought here as an experiment in 1998.

Horses, known as “takhi” (“spirit”) in Mongolia, differ from domestic breeds by having 33 pairs of chromosomes compared to the 32 chromosomes in domestic horses. Their modern name comes from the Russian explorer who first officially described them.

“The fact that Ukraine now has a free-ranging population is a small miracle,” said Denys Vyshnevskyi, one of the region’s leading naturalists.

With human pressure removed, parts of the exclusion zone now resemble European landscapes centuries ago, he said, adding: “Nature heals relatively quickly and effectively.”

Transformation is seen everywhere. Trees pierce abandoned buildings, roads turn into jungle, and battered Soviet-era signs stand next to leaning wooden crosses in overgrown cemeteries.

Hidden cameras show horses adapting in unexpected ways. They take shelter in dilapidated barns and abandoned houses, using them to escape harsh weather and insects, and even look for beds inside.

The animals live in small social groups, such as a stallion with separate groups of young males, usually several mares and their offspring. Many died out after their introduction, but others adapted.

It takes time to follow these. Vyshnevskyi often drives alone for hours, setting up motion-activated camera traps in camouflaged enclosures attached to trees.

Despite persistent radiation, scientists have not recorded widespread deaths, but milder effects are clearly visible. Some frogs have darker skin, and birds in areas with high radiation are more likely to develop cataracts.

But new threats have emerged.

of Russia 2022 invasion brought The troops were fighting in the exclusion zone as they advanced towards Kiev, digging defenses into contaminated ground. Fires linked to military activities ravaged forests.

The harsh winters experienced during wartime also had negative effects. There is damage to the power grid, which is left without resources in surrounding managed areas, and scientists report an increase in fallen trees and dead animals; this leads to losses due to both extreme conditions and hastily constructed fortifications.

“Most forest fires are caused by downed drones,” said Oleksandr Polischuk, who leads the firefighting unit in the region. “Sometimes we have to travel tens of kilometers to reach them.”

Fires can send radioactive particles back into the air.

Today, the area is no longer an accidental haven for wildlife. It has become a heavily monitored military corridor marked by concrete barriers, barbed wire and minefields, a landscape some describe as brutally beautiful.

Staff rotate in and out to limit radiation exposure. Chernobyl will likely remain a no-go zone for generations; Very dangerous for humans but still full of life.

“For those of us who are interested in conservation and ecology, this is some kind of miracle,” Vyshnevskyi said. “This land was once heavily used – agriculture, cities, infrastructure. But nature has effectively performed a factory reset.”

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Associated Press writers Dmytro Zhyhinas and Vasilisa Stepanenko contributed to this report.