New research shows that the wolf population living in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CHEZ) is genetically distinct from wolf populations outside the zone. Remarkably, the irradiated worms appear to have developed protective mutations that increase their chances of surviving cancer.

Wolf populations, like other animals, have increased rapidly in the Ukrainian SSS since the region was abandoned following the infamous nuclear disaster in 1986. In the absence of humans, wildlife was allowed to thrive unaffected by human activities.

But to enjoy this freedom, animals must face the glaring problem of radiation. After all, that’s why people left in the first place. Cara Love, an evolutionary biologist and ecotoxicologist at Princeton University, has studied Chernobyl wolves for a decade to understand how these animals survive against the odds.

In 2014, Love and his colleagues went to the CEZ and took blood samples from wolves to understand their response to cancer-causing radiation. Some were also fitted with radio collars to collect information about their location and radiation exposure.

“We get real-time measurements of where they are and how many there are. [радіації] They were defeated,” Love said in a statement.

The study found that wolves in the CEZ were exposed to more than 11.28 millibars of radiation every day throughout their lives; This is six times the legal limit for workers. The researchers also noted that the worms altered their immune systems, similar to patients receiving radiation therapy for cancer. Additionally, genetic analyzes show that some parts of the wolves’ genome have developed a certain resistance to cancer.

Similar findings were seen among hundreds of semi-feral dogs living in the CEZ. In 2023, scientists discovered that free-roaming Chernobyl dogs were genetically different from domestic dogs living in other countries of the world.

The discovery of love may also have consequences for human health. Love hopes to use the data to identify protective mutations that increase people’s chances of surviving cancer. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing war with Russia prevented Love and his team from returning to CEZ. It is unknown if and when they will be able to return.

“Our priority is to keep people and employees as safe as possible,” Love said.

The new research was presented last month at the annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology in Seattle, Washington.