Why Are Chernobyl’s Dogs Turning Blue? Scientists Have An Answer

A strange incident in Chernobyl has left many puzzled after several dogs living near the old nuclear plant have started turning blue. These dogs are believed to be descendants of the animals left behind

after the 1986 disaster, who are taken care by an organisation called Dogs of Chernobyl, supported by the Clean Futures Fund. The group recently shared a video of a few dogs with bright blue fur while doing the sterilisation work in the area.

The caretakers claimed that they had no clear idea why the dogs’ fur had changed colour and were trying to capture them for testing. Locals also asked about the sudden colour change, but no one knew the reason. The group suggested that the blue tint could be due to exposure to some kind of chemical substance in the surroundings. Despite the mystery, they confirmed that the affected dogs appeared healthy and active.

Chernobyl’s Blue Dogs Leave Experts Confused

Taking to Instagram, the organisation wrote, “Blue dogs found in Chornobyl. A very unique experience we have to discuss. Chornobyl blue dogs. We are on the ground catching dogs for sterilisation and we came across three dogs that were completely blue. We are not sure exactly what is going. The town people were asking us why the dogs were blue. We do not know the reason and we are attempting to catch them so we can find out what is happening. Most likely, they’re getting into some sort of chemical. They seem to be very active and at this point, we have not been able to catch them.”

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According to the Clean Futures Fund, the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 caused a massive explosion at the Unit 4 reactor in Ukraine, releasing dangerous radioactive materials into the air. After the explosion, 30 kilometre area around the plant became unsafe and locals were forced to leave their homes. Sadly, they were not allowed to take their pets with them.

Today, hundreds of stray dogs still live around the nuclear plant, in Chernobyl City, and near checkpoints across the exclusion zone. In the early years, the power plant management had planned to kill the dogs because there was no money to care for them, but one worker refused to do the task. To prevent harming the animals, the Clean Futures Fund stepped in and, in 2017, they started a program to spay, neuter and vaccinate the dogs. Volunteers and vets from around the world came together to help the animals.