Wolves in Chernobyl could spread to other areas, help support other populations
The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ) is a 1,660 square mile area surrounding the remains of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, which exploded on April 25, 1986, and released large amounts of radiation into the area. Living in the zone remains prohibited 32 years later, and the resulting lack of human presence has led some to call the zone a de-facto nature reserve. In particular, the gray wolf population in the zone has flourished, with the population density estimated to be up to seven times larger than in other nature reserves in the region. Now, for the first time, a researcher at the University of Missouri has tracked a wolf moving far outside the zone for an extended period of time, demonstrating that young wolves inside the CEZ are moving beyond it and potentially interacting with other wolf populations.