![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/cameras_wolfpack.jpg\")
A pack of wolves visits a scent station in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. The photograph was taken by one of the remote camera stations and was triggered by the wolves’ movement. (Credit: National Geographic \/ Jim Beasley \/ Sarah Webster)<\/p><\/div>\n
The remote cameras were set up on trees or tree-like structures over the course of seven days at each location. At each station, some sort of fatty acid scent was added to help attract animals for consideration. To avoid the likelihood that some animals would venture to multiple stations within any 24-hour period, scientists deployed the cameras at least 2 miles apart.<\/p>\n
From there, researchers documented all the wildlife species that they saw on the cameras, as well as the number of times that animals visited. A special focus was given to carnivores, which scientists think are at elevated risk of receiving radiation contamination because of their positions in the food chain. There is also a relative lack of data on the effects that Chernobyl contamination has had on species in high trophic levels.<\/p>\n
The research team found 14 species of mammals on the camera footage. The most frequently seen were the gray wolf, Eurasian boar, red fox and raccoon dog, a canine species found in East Asia and Europe. All of the species were spotted at stations close to or within the most highly contaminated areas.<\/p>\n
The results of the camera study show that wildlife populations aren\u2019t suppressed in even some of the most highly contaminated areas of the CEZ. Regardless of that aspect, scientists say that the animals seemed more likely to be where they could most easily find food and water that they need to survive.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
University of Georgia scientists used remote cameras to confirm the presence of wildlife in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":25357,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,5],"tags":[150,114,60,109,326,386],"class_list":["post-25364","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-earth-atmosphere","category-featured-articles","tag-animal-tracking","tag-animals","tag-featured","tag-news-ticker","tag-university-of-georgia","tag-wolf"],"remote_post_permalink":false,"remote_post_featured_image":false,"yoast_head":"\n