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Dogs living near the Chernobyl nuclear disaster have reportedly mutated a new superpower in which they have become immune to radiation, heavy metals and pollution, according to the Daily Mail.
Scientists took blood samples from 116 stray dogs living near the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, which found that two different populations living in the surrounding area were both genetically distinct from others, having adapted to exposure to the toxic environment long-term.
Chernobyl, a nuclear power plant located in Ukraine, was the site of the worst nuclear disaster in history on April 26, 1986 and has since been used to contain nuclear waste. Humans were evacuated from Chernobyl and its surrounding areas to avoid extreme levels of radiation, while an estimated 900 stray dogs, many of whom were descendants of pets left behind during the mass evacuation, managed to live in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.
In 2022, International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi told reporters that the former nuclear power station has reached "abnormal" radiation levels amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
"The radiation level, I would say, is abnormal," Grossi said as the United Nations commemorated the 36th anniversary of the disaster, which stemmed from a flawed reactor design operated by improperly trained personnel via the Mirror. "There have been some moments when the levels have gone up because of the movement of the heavy equipment that Russian forces were bringing here and when they left."