LONDON, May 22. /TASS/. The Chernobyl exclusion zone has become one of the largest wildlife habitats in Europe, according to a research published by the Proceedings of the Royal Society journal.
The research was carried out through 174 camera traps on the territory of the Chernobyl exclusion zone and in other regions of northern Ukraine. According to obtained data, the Chernobyl exclusion zone and the nearby Drevlyansky nature reserve have a broader list of mammal species and a more dense animal population on their territory than other conservation and non-conservation areas in the vicinity.
Among species registered by camera traps are lynxes, wolves, elks, deer and Przewalski’s horses, the research says.
Scientists suggest that the absence of humans was the main contributing factor for the rapid growth of animal populations in these territories.
