Chernobyl Anniversary: Disaster Exiled Humans, Made Way for Wildlife

CHERNOBYL, Ukraine — The forests and fields near the abandoned site of the world’s worst nuclear power plant disaster teem with animal life, proving that in some cases humans pose a bigger threat to animals than radiation.

 

The Chernobyl nuclear reactor blew up 30 years ago on Tuesday, sending a radioactive cloud over much of Europe and prompting the resettlement of 350,000 people from the area around the plant.

 

“Peace in absence of cars and tractors and an untouched forage base lets animals thrive,” according to Yury Bondar, who supervises biological research in neighboring Belarus’ Polesie State Radioecological Reserve, which was created following the 1986 disaster.

 

Read More: Chernobyl Anniversary: Disaster Exiled Humans, Made Way for Wildlife – NBC News