from Hacker News

The Dogs of Chernobyl

by zomg on 3/4/23, 8:24 PM with 49 comments

• by wbraun on 3/4/23, 10:26 PM

  Although I was not involved in the study itself, I was a volunteer for the rescue program in Chernobyl in summer 2018 when a lot of the data was collected. I assisted with checking radiation levels / decontamination and operating a whole body radiation counter to measure the radiation levels of the dogs for a different study.

  The stray dogs in the Chernobyl exclusion zone were surprisingly friendly. Better socialized and behaved than a good number of pet dogs I see in the USA.

  As mentioned elsewhere in the replies, if you think the program is interesting, consider donating to the Clean Futures Fund: https://www.cleanfutures.org/dogs-of-chernobyl/

• by Waterluvian on 3/4/23, 10:12 PM

  It would be a novel plot for a film: environmentalists want to cause nuclear disasters to create human-free habitats for all the animals that don’t live long enough for the radiation to seriously harm them.

• by kurthr on 3/4/23, 9:33 PM

  That is a lot of pages to get past many confounding variables and,

     "The Chernobyl dog population has great potential for informing environmental resource management studies in a resurging population. Its greatest potential, however, lies in understanding the biological underpinnings of animal and, ultimately, human survival in regions of high and continuous environmental assault."
  

  I don't see any actual results, just more informed research. OK, they found that their were more family groups in closer proximity than with wolves, and that there may be some mixing with new breeds due to humans moving back in and bringing in pets.

• by sinoue on 3/5/23, 1:29 AM

  Folks in several European countries can adopt Ukraine rescued dogs. https://www.sochidogs.org/adopt-dogs-ukraine I wonder if a program to rehabilitate and adopt Chernobyl Canines would be popular as a fundraiser and to bring more awareness to the issue?

• by sph on 3/5/23, 8:12 AM

  Kyle Hill made a video about this: https://youtu.be/bmVGwOP_zi8

  I found it fascinating how they seem to have become their own breed with a beautiful monochrome coat, and are very friendly and approachable to humans still.

• by radagast on 3/4/23, 9:37 PM

  This is why I love HN - in the between the constant bombardments of the latest AI advances or the newest frameworks we get someone that shares something most of us would have missed.

  I've visited Kyiv twice and both times went on a guided tour around Chernobyl and Pripyat. I have fond memories of the beautiful dogs that knew how to play the tourists for food. I had read about them beforehand so I brought them some proper dog food. One of them had the biggest tick I've ever seen, it was almost the size of my thumb. Even though they roamed free some nice people care for them. They were tagged so probably most of them either sterilized or vaccinated.

• by dr_faustus on 3/4/23, 9:58 PM

  If you came here for 3-eyed dogs, you will be sorely disappointed!

• by 101008 on 3/4/23, 9:55 PM

  If you can, donate to Clean Future - Dogs of Chernobyl program https://www.cleanfutures.org/dogs-of-chernobyl/

• by Convolutional on 3/5/23, 4:55 AM

  I have been watching videos of the dead fish, chickens and animals, killed due to the toxic fumes from the East Palestine, Ohio train crash last month. I wonder how that will affect thing there in the coming decades.

• by live_video on 3/4/23, 10:27 PM

  the Chernobyl retriever

• by ecologist on 3/5/23, 8:22 AM

  I did not read the paper in detail, but it’s not clear to me that the lack of gene flow can be ruled out. In inhabited areas people constantly introduce new genetics from the outside. Maybe the Chernobyl dogs are primarily genetically distinct because there has been very limited gene flow for over three decades. I still expect radiation would have played a large role amongst many other selective forces.

• by geenew on 3/5/23, 1:58 AM

  > This study presents the first characterization of a domestic species in Chernobyl, establishing their importance for genetic studies into the effects of exposure to long-term, low-dose ionizing radiation.

  That comes across as an especially clear, or at least understandable, statement about why a paper represents preliminary research.

• by NotYourLawyer on 3/5/23, 2:23 AM

  This is in serious need of an executive summary.

• by stan_kirdey on 3/4/23, 10:17 PM

  i just wanted to see the good bois

• by dbg31415 on 3/4/23, 10:06 PM

  Can we work towards re-homing the dogs, or not so much?

• by xpe on 3/5/23, 3:20 AM

  The Atlantic has a paywalled article that has more of a narrative