Environmentalists have explained the appearance of feral cows in Chernobyl
A herd of feral cows appeared in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone after the animals were abandoned by their owners.
This was reported by the Chernobyl Radiation-Ecological Biosphere Reserve.
These are cows that were kept by squatters in the village of Lubyanka after the Chernobyl disaster. After the owners died in 2016, the animals were left unattended and began living in the wild.
Before the full-scale invasion, the herd numbered about 18–20 animals; currently, there are 12. The decline is attributed to natural mortality and possible predator attacks.
Researchers note that the cows have adapted well: they have developed herd behavior, protect their calves, and avoid predators. The dominant bull plays a key role in their survival by uniting the herd.
The animals survive the winter on their own, feeding on grass, shrubs, and dry vegetation, and sometimes using abandoned buildings as shelter.
The reserve emphasizes that the feral cows have lost their economic value but have become part of the ecosystem and even a sort of symbol of the area.
A unique natural event took place in the center of Chernobyl: six white storks landed on the roof of an administrative building near the “Star of Polyn” memorial. This is a sensational occurrence, as the last time white storks nested in the city itself was twenty years ago.
As a reminder, the previous owners—Odar and Hrytsyk—returned on April 5–6 to the nest in the Pyriatyn National Nature Park, where a new pair of storks—Kvitka and Lel—had formed on April 2.
