SAVAGE BEASTS

Living Among The Rubble

PHOTOGRAPHED AND WRITTEN BY JOE STANLEY

Between the cracks and the sinkholes of Chernobyl species run rampant. From larger species like horses to microscopic organisms hard to see with my own eye, I was surprised to find the abundance of life that I did. History was able to document some of the genetic mutations inherited within the species once native to Chernobyl prior to the explosion. It was proven, approximately 50 years after, that the animals (especially abandoned dogs) genetically adapted due to the radiation. This would evolutionarily change the species for centuries to come.

My interest in the site truly inspired me to one day visit in order to document my own findings and expand research in this field of study. I now found myself here, in Chernobyl almost 5 thousands miles away from home in New York. It is my 6th day here, out of 14, and I have solemnly started thinking about my family I left behind. I have taken some astonishing photos highlighting the life forms I have found thus far. I have even collected some samples to bring back to my lab. Today I am going back on site to document and explore the ecosystems in what used to be the exclusion zone.

Within the cracks of old abandoned roads, weeds and shrubs grow taller than me. And as I walk toward the buildings, all that remains is the rubble of buildings that were set on fire or destroyed by environmental catastrophes. Fragments of graphite lay scattered around on the ground, and heavy winds pick up dust and debris and throw them into my face. Roaches and ants appear out of crevices in the road, and scurry away fearing a predator is after them. My experience here was bizarre and eye opening. Weird animal-like organisms surround me and camouflage within their environment. I walk toward the road that leads to an abandoned building and see boars looking within the crevices in the asphalt for fallen poisonous fruits and plants to eat.

The remnants of human life are trapped in the ground like fossils leaving residue of the past behind. I collect soil samples to bring back to our lab as well as specimens for further analysis. The radioactivity in the air is still prominent. However, what it has led to within the framework of natural evolution is far more interesting. I walk into what appears to be ruins of an abandoned lab, where funguses take over the cracks and corners of what remains, and large habitats amalgamated into the ground can be seen in the distance.

Hidden beneath the surface and in between crevices, invisible to the human eye, the termite mounds hide. As soon as I examined these through my camera footage they instantly reminded me of the termite mounds above the ground I had seen in textbooks from many years ago. It seems like the termites have adapted to these extreme living conditions and have begun to create their webs and habitats beneath the surface of the earth, allowing for a cooler and safer environment. Millions and millions of termites huddle together feeding off of the growing fungi under the broken roads. During my research visit to the site, I took samples of the ground conditions and when I came back to the lab I found hundreds of parasites inside my samples. It seems like some of these organisms have been able to survive throughout millions of years, adapting to every challenging living condition.

As I walk further west away from the labs I see that fields are flooded with grimey water erupting from the soil. Horse-like creatures use it as a water source. Staying in groups of three, it is evident they maintain relationships with their fellow companions. There are obvious mutations, each creature has different numbers of legs. They start to run at the sight of a moose. Their legs move fast and harmoniously as if they are floating above the ground. These horses have been crossbred with some other types of species because their skin is thick and smooth, and they do not have any body hair. Different from the perfect horse breeds used for sport, these horses’ survive because of their tendencies to attack and conquer.

As I wandered around, I came across a multi-legged moose. Similar to the horse-like creature, they gather around a water source that seems to be contaminated with a white toxin. Their huge horns, enabling them to hunt. They feed on medium to small sized organisms that are nearby. I assume that they are carnivores because I saw them attacking a boar that came across their territory. They are very territorial and conquer a space for only species that are part of their kingdom. Even the younger moose hunt. It is every man for himself with this species of moose. As it gets dark, I see their eyes glowing in the distance, and I move away for fear of being attacked.

Looking into the horizon, I observe the behavior of what seem like encrusted monkeys. Their name comes as no surprise. It is the drape monkey. Their legs are like veils that drape from their head to their feet. They swing around without worry. They screech and chatter amongst themselves to communicate their feelings of threat. They seemed like they were going to attack me at any moment. Trees had now become not only their habitats but also their bodies. Their homes look like huge trees that have been wrapped in mantels. Further research about the drape monkey has allowed me to understand the behaviors of these organisms. In Contrast with traditional monkeys that became extinct long ago, this new breed of monkeys only move between trees, not having the ability to move freely throughout the ground. They feed on birds that create their nests nearby and insects that climb through the trees.

The unique diversity of Chernobyl could be the key to Natural Adaptation

Just on the surface of the asphalt I noticed a translucent frog nest. I see the formations of frogs occurring on its inside. It looks like a nest that has become ambiguous with the asphalt pieces. The surface seems rough, too strong for an organism to eat. Perhaps the mother has strategically placed its nest near the crevices and covered it with human debris to protect it from predators. I remained looking at the frog eggs for several hours and did not see any mother frogs come around. I imagined she abandoned her offspring for her own survival. The offspring must hatch and adapt quickly to the conditions in order to survive and grow old.

According to previous research I had engaged with, strontium seems to be the largest chemical that exists in this environment. Some organisms like the red-bodied deer seem to be living well with these toxins. My observations show they usually move in smaller groups, around three to six deers. They are fuzzy and look like fire coal. I was scared to come too close to them in case the radiation on their bodies could harm me. I observed their behavioral characteristics from far away. They move in a diagonal direction and are slow compared to other organisms. The male seems to lead the pact and the female stays at the end, leaving the younger deer in the center for protection. It seems that the horses and moose in the area fight with these animals for survival.

The boars in this area are animals that have not evolved since the ones we are used to seeing in farms. I was however surprised at how lazy they were. They roll around the scorching hot concrete day and night. They feed off smaller organisms that come close to them. Physically, their skins have altered to have patches of what seem like toxic mercurial chemicals. Since the boars have adapted to living within the chemical toxicity, they have found their way in using the toxins that are stuck on them as a form of keeping predators away. Their radiation scares off nearby predators. As a result there have been large sounders of pigs roaming around the broken asphalt roads.

After cataloging these mutated creatures, it was time to pack up and deliver my findings to my lab. I discovered through the sight of such mutations that animals have natural tendencies to adapt to their surroundings. Here the chemicals and radiation prompted these species to survive in new conditions. They mutated and evolved, and thus were able to survive.