Dogs that have made their homes in the Chernobyl zone have been seen for the first time with blue fur, a phenomenon that has surprised keepers and researchers.
The organization Dogs of Chernobyl, which cares for about 700 dogs living in the 18-mile exclusion zone, shared a video showing several packs of dogs, at least one of which is completely blue.
"They weren't blue last week. We don't know why this is happening and we're trying to catch them to find out the cause," the video's description read.
"At most, it appears they came into contact with some chemical."
Despite the alarming color, the dogs appear to be active and healthy, according to the team.
The Dogs of Chernobyl: Heirs of a Disaster
These dogs are descendants of pets that were left behind during the evacuation after the 1986 nuclear accident, one of the largest nuclear disasters in history.
The lack of people has allowed wildlife to flourish, even though the area is contaminated with radiation of up to 11.28 millirem, six times the level allowed for workers.
A 2024 study found that dogs have evolved with a superpower: they are immune to radiation, heavy metals, and pollution.
The amazing genetics of dogs
Scientists took blood samples from 116 semi-wild dogs, revealing two populations genetically distinct from dogs in the surrounding area.
This shows that they have adapted their bodies to cope with long-term exposure to this toxic environment, and this explains why they continue to thrive in the radioactive desert.
Norman J. Kleiman, a scientist at Columbia University, and his team discovered unique genomes, including 400 “unusual loci” and 52 genes linked to exposure to nuclear contamination.
"In some magical way, two small populations of dogs managed to survive in this extremely toxic environment," Kleiman said.
"Mutations caused by contamination have been inherited from generation to generation, helping them adapt to these harsh conditions."
What causes blue fur?
At this time, the cause of the blue color has not been confirmed, but caretakers believe the dogs may have come into contact with chemicals in the exclusion zone.
Meanwhile, the online community has speculated that the blue fur could just be external contamination, which can be washed off, and some have expressed surprise that dogs remain fertile despite contact with the radioactive area. /GazetaExpress/
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