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Blue-furred dogs spotted at Chernobyl nuclear disaster site

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Story from Jam Press (Blue Dogs Chernobyl) Pictured: A video grab of several dogs living in Chernobyl that appear to have turned blue in colour. VIDEO: Dogs in Chernobyl are turning BLUE Footage has captured several dogs living in Chernobyl that appear to have turned blue in colour. 38 years on from the nuclear disaster, a team of charity workers discovered three dogs whose fur had turned a shocking shade of blue. The video, which garnered 330,000 views online, shows one animal which looks completely blue, next to other dogs which appear to have natural fur. Another dog, of a different breed, was also filmed with the same blue colouring. A third blue pup was also spotted in the area, with no explanation as to how its colouring has changed so dramatically. The footage was filmed this month by Dogs of Chernobyl, who are affiliated with the non-profit Clean Futures Fund, who work on the ground in the area to spay, neuter and vaccinate stray dogs that live in the zone. Each year, a different team come to the area to provide medical care and food for the estimated 700 dogs residing in Chernobyl. The team described the sightings of blue dogs as a ?very unique experience?, as reported by?NeedToKnow. A spokesperson said: ?We are on the ground now catching dogs for sterilisation, and we came across three dogs that were completely blue. ?We are not sure exactly what is going on. ?The town people are asking us why the dogs were blue, as they were not blue last week. ?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 healthy, but at this point, we have not been able to catch them.? Clean Futures Fund started the Dogs of Chernobyl program in 2017 to help care for the descendants of pets abandoned back in the 80s following the nuclear disaster. ENDS EDITOR'S NOTE: Video Usage Licence: (PROFESSIONAL PARTNER) We have obtained this material from a professional partner for use by our news media clients (company press release / other media agency). Video Restrictions: None.
Visitors to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone expect eerie silence and crumbling ruins when they indulge in a little dark tourism of the infamous area. What they don’t anticipate is spotting a pack of blue dogs trotting past the old reactor fence. Yet that’s exactly what researchers from the Dogs of Chernobyl project found earlier this month, when they spotted several bright blue hounds sniffing around the deserted site. (Picture: Jam Press/@dogsofchernobyl)
Before you panic – don’t worry – it’s unlikely the mutts have mutated into dangerous radioactive monsters or anything. The suspected cause is less sci-fi and more just silly (and also quite unhygienic). The discovery was made by the volunteer team on October 6, when geotagged images confirmed at least three vividly tinted dogs wandering about the area. Catching them proved trickier than tracking them. After a few failed attempts, the researchers believe the mystery can be attributed to something far less sinister than radiation – an abandoned portable toilet. (Picture: Jam Press/@dogsofchernobyl)
‘They appear to have been rolling in a substance that had accumulated on their fur,’ Dr. Jennifer Betz, veterinary medical director for the Dogs of Chernobyl programme, told IFLScience. ‘We’re suspecting that this substance was from an old portable toilet that was in the same location as the dogs; however, we were unable to positively confirm our suspicions.’ (Picture: Jam Press/@dogsofchernobyl)
If you’re wondering whether this might still be the result of some sort of nuclear weirdness, Dr Betz was quick to dismiss the idea. ‘We are not in any way saying that it is related to radiation in Chernobyl,’ she explained. In other words, they are fairly positive these pups haven’t been dipped in uranium or anything – they’ve just had an unfortunate run-in with chemical loo fluid. (Picture: Getty Images)
Happily, the hair dye glow-up shouldn’t cause any long-term harm. ‘The dogs appear healthy, as do all of the other dogs that we have encountered during our time in Chernobyl. I would suspect, as long as they don’t lick the majority of the substance off of their fur, it would be mostly harmless,’ Dr Betz said. (Picture: Jam Press/@dogsofchernobyl)
This isn’t even the first case of colourful canines in the region. Back in 2021, residents of Dzerzhinsk in Russia reported packs of sky-blue dogs roaming near an abandoned chemical factory. Investigators blamed copper sulfate, a blue compound once used in manufacturing, which the animals had likely rolled in. Seems industrial leftovers and curious strays are an irresistible mix in this part of the world. (Picture: Jam Press/@dogsofchernobyl)
The Chernobyl dogs themselves, however, have something of a unique backstory. When the tragic nuclear disaster struck in 1986, some 120,000 residents were forced to evacuate, leaving behind their pets. Against the odds, many of those animals survived and bred, forming the hardy semi-feral population now living among the ruins. These descendants are monitored and cared for by the Clean Futures Fund, the non-profit behind the Dogs of Chernobyl project. (Picture: Getty Images)
Since 2017, the group has sterilised over 1,000 cats and dogs to help keep the population healthy. Volunteers also wanted to clarify that their temporary identification markers – small crayon smudges on dogs’ heads – had nothing to do with the all-blue animals seen this month. The mystery fur coat, it seems, was entirely self-inflicted. (Picture: Jam Press/@dogsofchernobyl)
Meanwhile, other wildlife continues to thrive in this strange post-human landscape. Studies show that wild boar, red foxes, songbirds and raccoon dogs roam the overgrown streets in surprisingly strong numbers. Even wolves appear to have developed genetic quirks that make them more resilient to cancer. In that context, a few blue dogs seem almost ordinary – just another odd twist in Chernobyl’s long and thoroughly bizarre afterlife. (Picture: Jam Press/@dogsofchernobyl)
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