Scientists debunk mystery of Chernobyl’s ‘blue dogs’ after claims they had ‘mutated due to radiation’
Scientists reveal why Chernobyl’s dogs actually ‘turned blue’
- Images of dogs with blue fur in the Chernobyl nuclear exclusion zone circulated in October, prompting various theories.
- Initial speculation suggested the blue colour could be linked to high radiation levels or an evolutionary adaptation to the environment.
- Scientists have since debunked these claims, attributing the blue dye to the dogs rolling in faeces from a tipped-over portaloo.
- University of South Carolina scientist Timothy Mousseau confirmed the colouration was more likely a result of the dogs' “unsanitary behaviour” and not a mutation or radiation effect.
- The dogs are descendants of pets abandoned after the 1986 nuclear disaster, with their welfare now managed by the Clean Futures Fund's 'Dogs of Chernobyl' programme.