Disaster Tourism at the Chernobyl Nuclear Accident Site

tabby · Post by **tabby** » Thu Mar 07, 2013 4:16 pm

I didn't realize Pripyat had been given the all clear for visitation but according to this article it's well on its way to becoming a tourist mecca. There's no doubt it would be interesting but I'm not convinced on the safety of the radiation levels regardless of the information spouted by the tourist agencies. I wonder if they'll ever open it back up to inhabitants again. Would you be interested in visiting there?

Disaster Tourism at the Chernobyl Nuclear Accident Site

Scrat · Post by **Scrat** » Thu Mar 07, 2013 7:23 pm

Pripyat has not been given the all clear by the Ukrainian government nor the Belorussian as far as I know. Last I heard the Ukrainians had taken measures to cut off unauthorized excursions into the area due to the damage that is being done.

Both countries and the scientific world are using the area for a huge lab, they are learning much about disasters, disaster recovery in nature and loads of other things. It's become one huge experiment and in fact there are not only people who live there (have since the disaster) scientists spend large amounts of time there. There will also be found a lot of criminals from various places.

No, I wouldn't want to live there. It's too far from everything now.

valerie · Post by **valerie** » Thu Mar 07, 2013 8:21 pm

Wouldn't want to go there.

There was a bit (60 minutes I think) a while back, and they showed

the amazing proliferation of animals there, and it was funny to see

them running around/through abandoned buildings. All apparently

fine, and reproducing and everything!

tabby · Post by **tabby** » Fri Mar 08, 2013 6:15 am

Scrat;1422303 wrote: Pripyat has not been given the all clear by the Ukrainian government nor the Belorussian as far as I know. Last I heard the Ukrainians had taken measures to cut off unauthorized excursions into the area due to the damage that is being done.

Both countries and the scientific world are using the area for a huge lab, they are learning much about disasters, disaster recovery in nature and loads of other things. It's become one huge experiment and in fact there are not only people who live there (have since the disaster) scientists spend large amounts of time there. There will also be found a lot of criminals from various places.

No, I wouldn't want to live there. It's too far from everything now.

Thanks for the clarification! Do you know the average distance circumference wise that was evacuated & condemned? 100 miles? 500? It's hard to imagine having to pack up and leave home for good so abruptly although I know it's always a possibility for any of us for any number of reasons.

tabby · Post by **tabby** » Fri Mar 08, 2013 6:19 am

valerie;1422304 wrote: Wouldn't want to go there.

There was a bit (60 minutes I think) a while back, and they showed

the amazing proliferation of animals there, and it was funny to see

them running around/through abandoned buildings. All apparently

fine, and reproducing and everything!

I did notice in the article's photos that the vegetation seems lush, healthy and unfazed by the radiation levels. I'm glad the animal population seems to be thriving. It could be an interesting study in how the earth takes back its own after human presence is gone!

YZGI · Post by **YZGI** » Fri Mar 08, 2013 7:26 am

I watched an Anthony Bourdain show where they toured the facility and surrounding areas. They were told not to touch any foilage concrete or basically any surface what so ever.

This is the episode, they give a lot of info during their visit.

anthony bourdain.no.reservations. Ukraine - YouTube

Scrat · Post by **Scrat** » Fri Mar 08, 2013 10:49 pm

There was a bit (60 minutes I think) a while back, and they showed

the amazing proliferation of animals there, and it was funny to see

them running around/through abandoned buildings. All apparently

fine, and reproducing and everything!

There are lots of different fauna there. They released some of the wild Asian ponies some years ago and just last year some bison from Canada. The wild pigs are raising havoc in Belarus, they come out of the zone and raid gardens. They can destroy a large garden inside of an hour and there is a program for farmers to kill the pigs and bring them to a state owned processing plant where they will be tested for radiation. Most of the time the meat is consumable, occasionally they find one that has been eating where it should not. Wolves have been a problem too. Most of the radiation is now in the plants, mainly locked up in the trees or deep down in the soil but there are still spots hotter than others.

I read a story in 2004 of a Kiev university group that put a tracking collar on a stray dog they found in Chernobyl. She spent spring and summer in Chernobyl and migrated to Kiev in fall and winter. She raised 3 or 4 litters of pups at Chernobyl. She was about 7 years old when she died of unnatural causes. She was hit by a car.

Scrat · Post by **Scrat** » Fri Mar 08, 2013 11:06 pm

Here's an interesting article that's recent. My info is dated.

Wildlife in Chernobyl: Debate over mutations and populations of plants and animals in the radioactive fallout exclusion zone. - Slate Magazine

Snooz · Post by **Snooz** » Sat Mar 09, 2013 10:24 am

I was reading about this fairly recently as well... herds of cattle roam free but there's concern about radioactive milk.

tabby · Post by **tabby** » Mon Aug 19, 2013 3:47 am

The wolves certainly look hale at this point. Love the cub pile!

Radioactive Wolves ~ Gallery | Nature | PBS

tabby · Post by **tabby** » Mon Sep 09, 2013 4:24 am

Some more interesting photos!

Chernobyl, 27 Years Later

Post by **brightlikeme** » Mon Aug 04, 2014 10:31 pm

these incidents are sad, Natural Life and Animals have to pay for our Technology

tabby · Post by **tabby** » Sun Mar 01, 2020 4:41 pm

A radiation eating fungus? Who knew?

https://www.popularmechanics.com/scienc ... yl-fungus/