Chernobyl Ecology: Nature Reclaims
How did the disaster affect the environment?
About the Chernobyl Ecology Quiz
Something unexpected happened after humans fled the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone — nature moved in. Despite elevated radiation levels, wolves, lynx, bears, and hundreds of bird species now thrive in what has become one of Europe's most unusual wildlife reserves. This Chernobyl ecology quiz explores the surprising and complex relationship between radiation and the natural world in the zone around Reactor No. 4.
Scientists debate whether the Chernobyl wildlife is truly thriving or simply surviving in the absence of its greatest predator — humans. From mutant pine forests to radioactive wild boars roaming Germany, the ecological fallout of the disaster continues to produce fascinating and sometimes disturbing discoveries. Test your knowledge of nature's response to one of history's greatest environmental catastrophes.