40 years on, wildlife is thriving in Chernobyl

Apr 21, 2026 · 17m

It's been 40 years since the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, when an exploded reactor emitted four hundred times the radioactive material released by the Hiroshima bomb. Some 350,000 people were evacuated from the surrounding area, but today the 'Chernobyl Exclusion Zone' is a thriving wildlife refuge, home to a range of species that have adapted to their irradiated environment. Guest: Germán Orizaola, Associate Professor in Zoology, Department of Biology of Organisms and Systems, University of Oviedo Producer: Jack Schmidt

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