Chernobyl gray wolves develop mutations linked to cancer resistance

6 articles · Updated · Gizmodo · Apr 27

Princeton evolutionary biologists identified 23 genes in Chernobyl’s wolves associated with cancer resistance, based on RNA samples compared to wolves in Belarus and Yellowstone.
Wolf populations in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone are now seven times higher than before the 1986 disaster, thriving due to reduced human presence despite ongoing war and environmental challenges.
While large mammals like wolves and elk have flourished, smaller species such as birds and rodents still suffer radiation effects, and proposals to reopen land for agriculture face ethical and safety concerns.

Could Chernobyl's cancer-resistant wolves hold the key to new human therapies?

Why do large mammals thrive in Chernobyl while smaller animals still suffer?

Are humans a greater threat to wildlife than a nuclear catastrophe?

Can land poisoned by the world's worst nuclear accident ever be safe for farming?

How has war transformed Chernobyl's unique scientific laboratory into a battleground?

After the 2025 drone strike, can Chernobyl's damaged nuclear sarcophagus be saved?