Chernobyl Is Being Taken Over By Strange Radioactive Animals

In northern Ukraine, there exists a large area that human society was forced to abandon. Following a catastrophic nuclear disaster in the late '80s, hundreds of thousands of people were forced to flee their homes, leaving even entire cities abandoned. But, with the human population gone, a strange group of radioactive animals took over — and it may pose an even greater threat than we first believed.

Reactor explosion

On April 26, 1986, the No. 4 nuclear reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant near Pripyat of the former Ukranian SSR exploded during a routine safety test. The reactor core caught fire soon after, scattering radioactive contaminants tens of thousands of miles across Eastern Europe.

Mass evacuation

In the wake of the disaster, over 300,000 people were evacuated from the surrounding areas, forced to leave their homes, belongings, and even pets behind. Many believed they'd be allowed to return shortly after the accident, though, unfortunately, this wasn't the case.

Radioactive fallout

Due to the incredibly slow degradation of the radioactive fallout, the areas contaminated by the catastrophe were deemed unsafe for humans to live in for hundreds – even thousands – of years. As a result, a 1,000-square-mile Chernobyl Exclusion Zone was created to discourage people from doing so.

Stragglers

While most complied with the restriction, a handful of lifelong residents decided to stay put in spite of the threat of radiation. Yet despite the presence of a few brave souls, the nearby towns and cities that once housed millions slowly began to crumble away.