Dogs with bright blue fur have been spotted for the first time in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Volunteers from the organization "Dogs of Chernobyl," which cares for animals in the disaster zone, reported that a week ago these dogs were seen with normal fur, but now it has an unnatural hue. The team suspects that the animals may have come into contact with a chemical substance and is trying to catch them for examination. This is stated in the Daily Mail article, writes UNN.
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The organization, which has been caring for about 700 dogs in the 18-square-mile zone since 2017, emphasized that despite the strange color, the animals remain active and healthy. All of them are descendants of pets abandoned after the 1986 Chernobyl accident.
Scientists have been studying these animals for several years, as previous analyses have revealed genetic mutations that make them more resistant to radiation and toxic environments. Researchers from Columbia University in the USA found that the dogs developed unique genes associated with exposure to environmental pollution.
It is not yet clear whether the blue coloration is related to radiation, mutations, or chemical exposure, but the phenomenon has already attracted the attention of geneticists and environmentalists worldwide.