Chernobyl Research Initiative

Nice video of Dr Andrii Simon risking his life to install one of our many wildlife cameras in the Chornobyl zone. Thanks to Dr Jennifer Betz (Dogs of Chornobyl Medical Director) and Clean Futures Fund for posting.

https://www.instagram.com/reels/DYFGoa2POEn/

For nearly three decades, the Chernobyl Research Initiative, led by Timothy Mousseau through the University of South Carolina, has monitored wildlife diversity and ecological changes within the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone. Working alongside Andrew Simon and featured through the Chernobyl Wild YouTube channel, the team studies how animals survive and adapt in one of the most unique environments on Earth. In coordination with the Dogs of Chernobyl, we work closely with Dr. Mousseau and his team to help gather vital genetic information about the dogs living within the exclusion zone. During our spay and neuter campaigns, blood samples are collected from the animals so researchers can perform DNA sequencing and better understand the genetics, health, and long-term population dynamics of these incredible dogs. This collaboration combines wildlife research with hands-on veterinary care to help both the animals and the scientific understanding of life inside Chornobyl.

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RUN RABBIT RUN!!

Here is a very cool sequence of photos from one of our cameras in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone showing a hare evading attack by an owl!

Photo credit to T. Mousseau and A. Simon (c) 2023. Thanks to Ari for finding the photos.

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‘Hot Wasps’ Found at Nuclear Facility in South Carolina (Gift Article) Four radioactive wasp nests may indicate previously undetected environmental contamination at the decades-old Savannah River Site. Here’s what to know.

Our latest Dogs of Chornobyl paper just out!

Contrasting pathogen prevalence between tick and dog populations at Chornobyl - Parasites & Vectors Background The 1986 disaster at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant released massive amounts of radioactive material into the local environment. In addition to radiation, remediation efforts and abandonment of military-industrial complexes contributed to contamination with heavy metals, organics, pest...