Wolves, Boars, Horses, Abandoned Property, and Chernobyl

This hellish inferno became a sort of paradise for wild animals...at least on the surface. They thrive with no humans to prey upon them, but nobody fully understands how the nuclear poisons have altered their genetic makeup, the extent of their migration, or their interactions with the adjacent "safe" areas. Grotesque mutations have been reported, but official science denies that. The wolf and wild boar populations are growing rapidly, occupy abandoned houses and sheds, and curiously are not aggressive. Maybe that has something to do with the plentiful food supply consumed by all species in the area...with the exception of mankind...the food is contaminated. It's not unusual to see a wolf, a fox, a wild boar, or a wild deer casually crossing the road.

These are Prejevalsky (Przewalski) Horses. Someone brought a couple of them from Asia a few years ago. They liked it here, thrived in their new environment, and now there are three herds running in the Chernobyl area. They are a sturdy breed, and are always on the move. They have a prehistoric look about them. When they sweep by at full gallop it feels like you might next see a herd of ancient Eohippus. Zoologists also brought two American Bison to the area, but the idea to breed them didn't work out. The male bison ran away. I don't know if he ran away from the radiation or from his bride, but he was last seen in Belorussia, heading west. He may have decided to return to America.

This is the town of Chernobyl.

The Geiger counter readings here are now at 20 - 80 microroentgens, depending of where you stand. This place is what I call a zombie town as a result of the native population being evacuated in May, 1986. Since then the town underwent a massive cleanup and later became the base for Chernobyl Atomic Power Plant workers. Reactor No. 2 of the four reactors was shut down in October of 1991, Reactor No. 1 followed in November of 1996. The last of the three remaining functional reactors, Reactor No. 3, was finally shut down on the 15th of December, 2000.   Wind deposition is the major determining factor as to where nuclear fallout will eventually settle. Spreading death in some places while randomly granting mercy to others. The town of Chernobyl is located just 12 km south of the reactor if we travel by air. In the first days after the accident the level of radiation here was not high. Remarkable, considering at this time the radiation from Chernobyl had already hit Northern Europe. This event was still being kept a secret from the rest of the world. In Sweden they started looking for leakages from their own nuclear plants not knowing where the increase in measured radiation was coming from. The wind changed direction on May 1st, and with that the morning radiation readings began to show 24 milliroentgen per hour. The radioactive clouds drifted through this place, killed it, and then moved on to Kiev to take part in our famous Labor Day Milliroentgen Parade.

We're passing through Chernobyl.