Camera traps reveal Chornobyl wildlife changed routines during Russian occupation

Camera traps reveal Chornobyl wildlife changed routines during Russian occupation

An international research team has for the first time investigated how an unfolding armed conflict influenced the behavior of wild animals. Using camera traps, the scientists documented how the Russian occupation of the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone during the 2022 war in Ukraine affected the activity of the animals living in the area. Data analysis shows that red deer, roe deer, foxes and wild boar adjusted their day and night activity to the hostilities during this period. The team, led by Dr. Svitlana Kudrenko, who earned her Ph.D. at the University of Freiburg, and Prof. Dr. Marco Heurich of the University of Freiburg, has published its findings in the journal Science.