Dogs with blue fur appeared in Chornobyl - scientists are looking for an explanation

Dogs with blue hair in Chernobyl

In the exclusion zone of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant, volunteers and scientists have recorded the appearance of dogs with a bright blue coat, reports Daily Mail.
The photos of the animals went viral on social media and sparked a heated debate among experts and animal rights activists.

Possible reasons

The researchers consider several versions the origin of the unusual coat colour:

• Chemical exposure. Animals could have come into contact with substances or compounds preserved on the territory of former industrial facilities in the Exclusion Zone.

• Genetic changes. They do not rule out that it may be mutation, caused by exposure to radiation or adaptation to a background environment.

• The influence of the environment. Coat colour can be the result of a reaction to soil, water or dust with a high metal content.

Research is ongoing

Biologists note that dogs remain active, have a good appetite and normal behaviour, which indicates the absence of acute symptoms.
Wool samples are already sent for analysis to laboratories in the US and Ukraine, to determine the exact cause of the discolouration.

«These animals are a unique natural experiment that allows us to study the long-term effects of radiation on living organisms,» said scientists working in Chornobyl.

Context.

The dog population in the exclusion zone is estimated at more than 800 individuals. Most of the animals are descendants of domestic dogs abandoned after the 1986 accident.
Previously, American and Ukrainian researchers have found genetic differences from ordinary dog populations is a consequence of living in conditions of high radiation background.