Wild horses thrive in Chernobyl's radiation-hit exclusion zone

Chernobyl nuclear disaster is worst of its kind in human history. The explosion in the fourth reactor at the nuclear power plant on April, 26, 1986 left swathes of Ukraine and neighbouring Belarus badly contaminated with radiation. This led to the formation of a no man's land within a 30-kilometre (19-mile) radius of the station. Towns, villages were evacuated and the exclusion zone was considered uninhabitable for humans for the next 24,000 years.

But a particular breed of wild horses is flourishing in the exclusion zone.

"It's really a symbol of the reserve and even the exclusion zone in general," said Denys Vyshnevsky, head of the scientific department of the Chernobyl nature reserve created in the area five years ago.

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Since the disaster, the area has become a haven for elk, wolves -- and the stocky endangered breed of wild horse native to Asia, Przewalski's horse.

The breed, named after Russian scientist Nikolai Przewalski who discovered it in the Asia expansive Gobi desert, became all but extinct by the middle of the 20th century, partially due to overhunting.

It was reintroduced by scientists to areas of Mongolia, China and Russia as part of preservation efforts.
In a different program, 30 of the horses were released into the Chernobyl zone in 1998, replacing an extinct horse native to the region, the Tarpan.

The experiment in Ukraine was soon halted but the horses remained and now number around 150 in parts of the exclusion zone. There are another 60 near the border with Belarus.

"Paradoxically, this is a unique opportunity to preserve biodiversity," Vyshnevsky said.

Under the right conditions, the Ukrainian herd could eventually increase to 300 or even 500 animals, said Sergiy Zhyla, Senior Researcher, Chernobyl Biosphere Reserve.

Researchers at the Prague zoo participating in the conservation efforts now say the global population of Przewalski's horses has grown to some 2,700.

Following the success in Chernobyl, there is discussion over introducing other endangered species to Ukraine's zone.

(With inputs from agencies)