US EditionExpert reveals 'likely' reason behind Chernobyl’s mysterious blue dogs after viral photos
Scientists and Dogs of Chernobyl confirm blue fur on about 700 stray dogs comes from porta-potty dye, not radiation or mutation, clarifying viral speculation.
- On Nov. 13, Dogs of Chernobyl and scientific adviser Timothy A. Mousseau said the blue fur on three stray dogs resulted from porta‑potty dye, not radiation after viral photos last month.
- Last month, photos and a video shared by Dogs of Chernobyl went viral, prompting social media users to suggest the blue hue might be a radiation-induced mutation.
- Mousseau, a University of South Carolina professor, responded that as Dogs of Chernobyl's adviser, the viral snapshots prompted his 'likely' but unappealing explanation for the blue fur.
- The charity rejected mutation theories, saying `Nothing could be further from the truth`, and the New York Post first reported the correction from the charity's Facebook post.
- Beyond the colour mystery, roughly 700 different dogs in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone face malnutrition and rabies risks, while radiation remains six times above human limits and wildlife is affected, a 2024 study found.
12 Articles
12 Articles
The mystery about blue-coloured dogs, which were spotted in the contaminated restricted zone in Chernobyl, does not seem to have been solved clearly. When the result of the radiation was first seen, the phenomenon was later declared as a marker for sterilized four-legged dogs. But now there is a new theory for the unusual colouring ... The speculations about the blue dogs, which roam around the accident reactor of Chernobyl, do not tear down. Af…
New analyses clarify why some dogs in the exclusion zone have an unusual blue color. The field tests show a simple and non-radiation-related cause.
The secret behind the blue-furred dogs found at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant: They behaved like dogs, according to a U.S. scientist. They rolled around in excrement mixed with blue disinfectant and deodorizing dye in an overturned portable toilet, causing radiation exposure and mutations. Last October, a blue-furred dog was found near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine.
Expert reveals 'likely' reason behind Chernobyl’s mysterious blue dogs after viral photos
Blue dogs in Chernobyl Exclusion Zone likely got their coloring from port-a-potty waste, not radiation exposure, says University of South Carolina expert Timothy Mousseau.
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