Narrator: CHERNOBYL --
THE MOST RADIOACTIVE SITE IN THE WORLD,
A TOXIC WASTELAND.
NOW, FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME,
TWO SCIENTISTS HAVE BEEN GRANTED EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
TO INVESTIGATE THE ENTIRE ZONE.
RISKING POTENTIALLY LETHAL RADIATION,
THEIR MISSION IS TO FIND OUT WHAT 30 YEARS OF NUCLEAR FALLOUT
HAS DONE TO LIFE HERE.
-GETAC BK! -COME ON!
Narrator: ANTHROPOLOGIST MARY-ANN OCHOTA
AND BIOLOGIST ROB NELSON
WILL JOURNEY DEEP INTO UNEXPLORED AREAS,
COMPLETING THE MOST THOROUGH INVESTIGATION EVER CARRIED OUT.
THAT IS WHOLESALDAE MAGE.
THEY CONDUCT SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENTS...
OF COURSE, IT'S -- IT'S AGGRESSIVE.
...SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS TO UNUSUAL BEHAVIORS
AND MUTATIONS...
There's something out there.
RACING AGAINST MOUNTING RADIATION EXPOSURE,
THEY UNCOVER THE SHOCKING TRUTH ABOUT THE PEOPLE AND ANIMALS
THAT STILL LIVE HERE,
WHERE NOTHING WAS EXPECTED TO SURVIVE FOR YEARS TCOO ME.
-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS
APRIL 1986.
[ WOMAN SINGS IN RUSSIAN ]
A CATASTROPHIC EXPLOSION
AT CHERNOBYL NUCLEAR POWER STATION.
REACTOR NUMBER FOUR GOES INTO MELTDOWN,
RELEASING EIGHT TONS
OF HIGHLY RADIOACTIVE CORE MATERIAL.
RADIATION EQUIVALENT TO 400 HIROSHIMA BOMBS,
FIVE TIMES MORE THAN THE FUKUSHIMA DISASTER,
RAINS ACROSS THE WORLD.
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE DIE,
AND COUNTLESS ANIMALS ARE WIPED OUT.
30 YEARS LATER, IT'S SO RADIOACTIVE
THAT IT IS STILL ABANDONED, SEALED OFF --
A 20-MILE EXCLUSION ZONE WITH ACCESS STRICTLY CONTROLLED.
Man: I THINK I SEE THE CHECKPOINT IN FRONT OF US.
Woman: YEAH.
AFTER THE DISASTER, MANY THOUGHT LIFE HERE WOULD BE GONE FOREVER.
BUT NEW STUDIES ARE CHALLENGING TH BATELIEF.
ANTHROPOLOGIST MARY-ANN OCHOTA AND BIOLOGIST ROB NELSON
AND HERE TO FIND OUT THE TRUTH.
THIS WHOLE AREA IS LIKE A GIANT EXPERIMENT
BECAUSE YOU'RE LOOKING AT,
YOU KNOW, PLANTS AND ANIMALS THAT HAVE BEEN
LIVING WITH RADIATION THEIR ENTIRE LIVES.
AND SO, LOOKING AT THEM, STUDYING THEM,
YOU'RE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT
WHAT ARE THE REAL EFFECTS OF RADIATION.
YEAH.
A LOT OF MY FRIENDS THINK I'M ABSOLUTELY MAD TO BE HERE.
"WHY WOULD YOU TAKE THAT RISK?"
AND YET THERE'S SO MUCH SCIENCE THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE HERE.
HOW CAN LIFE SURVIVE IN THIS EXTRE EMENVIRONMENT?
AND WHATS ITHE RADIATION DOING TO THE CREATURES HERE?
SO, WE'VE GOT PEOPLE WORKING HERE,
SOME PEOPLE HERE, SOME PEOPLE DOWN HERE.
SO, WE'VE GOT PEOPLE ALL OVER THIS AREA
DOING DIFFERENT THINGS,
TRYING TO LOOK AT HOW RADIATION IS AFFECTING THE WILDLIFE HERE.
WE'VE GOT A LOT TO DO.
YEAH. ALL RIGHT. LET'S GET STARTED.
THERE ARE LOCAL TALES OF MONSTER FISH,
TWO-HEADED FROGS, MUTANT CREATURES.
BUT WHAT'S REALLY OUT THERE IN CHERNOBYL'S DANGER ZONE?
-GAS, GAS, GAS! -ONE...
-TWO... -THREE.
Narrator: THE THREAT
OF THE INVISIBLE KILLER IS EVERYWHERE,
SO BEFORE THEY START...
GO, GO, GO!
...THEY NEED MILITARY-GRADE TRAINING AND PROTECTIVE GEAR.
LOOK AT ME. TOO LATE. YOU'VE GOT IT TOO LATE.
YOU ARE WHERE YOU ARE, OKAY? OKAY. DOWN HERE.
I CANNOT BELIEVE
THAT I'M GOING INTO THE HEART OF A NUCLEAR HOT ZONE.
I REMEMBER AS A LITT KLEID
BEING KEPT IN AT SCHOOL BREAK TIME
SO THAT THE CONTAMINATED DUST ULDN'T FALL ON US.
REMEMBER IT SO CLEARLY.
WELL, IT'S FAR WORSE HERE. RIGHT.
OVERBOOTS. -THANK YOU.
OKAY. -HELP PROTECT YOUR FEET.
ORAL/NASAL MASK TO HELP PROTECT YOUR BREATHING.
GOGGLES AND YOUR PROTECTIVE OVERSUIT.
NO ONE'S DONE THAT MUCH EXPLORATION INTO THE ZONE.
EVEN DECADES LATER, THESE PLACES
ARE SO CONTAMINATED THAT,
IF YOU STAY TOO LONG, IT COULD KILL YOU.
Narrator: MARY-ANN AND ROB HAVE BEEN BRIEFED
ON THE SYMPTOMS TO WATCH OUT FOR.
ACUTE EXPOSURE TO RADIATION CAUSES SICKNESS, DIZZINESS
, ON THE SYMPTOMS TO WATCH OUT FOR.
HAIR LOSS, VOMITING BLD,OO AND EVEN SEIZURES.
BUT WITH FEW STUDIES,
THE EFFECTS OF LONG-TERM RADIATION
ARE MUCH LESS UNDERSTOOD.
WHAT WE WANT TO FIND OUT IS WHAT 30 YEARS
OF RADIOACTIVE FALLOUT HAS DONE TO LIFE HERE.
Narrator: THEY START IN A COOLER PART OF THE ZONE,
WHERE RADIATION LEVELS ARE RELATIVELY LOW --
A TOP-SECRET RELIC OF THE COLD WAR.
YOU SEE ALL THESE TREES AROUND HERE?
THEY WERE BASICALLY PLANTED TO GROW UP AND HIDE THIS ARRAY
SO THAT NOBODY COULD SEE IT FROM ANY ROAD.
THIS WAS A SUPER-POWERED RADAR FACILITY DESIGNED BY THE SOVIETS
TO SPY ON THE WEST.
THIS WHOLE AREA WAS SUPER-SECRET.
NOBODY WAS ALLOWED IN HERE.
IT WAS PROTECTED FOR A LONG TIME.
UNDISTURBED BY HUMANS,
THIS USED TO BE A HAVEN FOR WILDLIFE.
BUT THAT WAS BEFORE THE NUCLEAR MELTDOWN
THAT EXTERMINATED ANIMALS ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION.
OKAY. LET'S SEE WHAT WE'VE GOT, THEN.
OH, HELLO.
WE'VE ONLY BEEN HERE JUST A LITTLE TIME,
BUT I'VE ALREADY HEARD A WOODPECKER OVER THERE.
Narrator: WHAT THEY FIND SURPRISES THEM.
IT'S TEEMING WITH WILDLIFE.
Nelson: THIS IS AWESOME.
Narrator: AGAINST ALL ODDS,
NATURE APPEARS TO BE MAKING A COMEBACK.
BUT HOW?
COULD RADIATION BE AFFECTING THE ANIMALS
IN WAYS THAT AREN'T EASILY VISIBLE?
TIME TO DO MORE DETAILED INVESTIGATION.
I'VE JUST SPOTTED A HERD OF PRZEWALKSKI'S HORSES.
INCREDIBLY ENDANGERED,
AND THEY'RE GRAZING JUST OVER THERE.
Narrator: THESE ARE THE ZONE'S RAREST CREATURES,
RESCUED FROM THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION.
IT IS AMAZING TO GET THIS CLOSE TO THESE HORSES.
THE PRZEWALKSKI'S HORSES
ARE ACTUALLY A TOTALLY DIFFERENT SPECIES
TO THE DOMESTIC HORSE THAT MOST OF US ARE FAMILIAR WITH.
AND THEY'RE REALLY PRIMITIVE.
THEY THINK THAT THE SPECIES DIVERGED
AT LEAST 50,000 YEARS AGO.
AND THAT IS BASICALLY
WHY THEY LOOK LIKE CAVE-PAINTING HORSES.
THEY ARE. THEY'RE A PRIMITIVE SPECIES.
Narrator: THE HORSES WERE INTRODUCED
12 YEARS AFTER THE EXPLOSION.
THEY WERE SETTLED IN THE LOW-RADIATION AREAS
OF THE ZONE WITH THE HOPE
THAT THE PROTECTED SITE WOULD ALLOW THEM TO THRIVE.
AT FIRST, ALL LOOKED PROMISING.
BY THE EARLY 2000s, THEY WERE DOING INCREDIBLY WELL.
THIS WAS A CONSERVATION SUCCESS STORY.
BUT JUST RECENTLY, NUMBERS HAVE BEEN DROPPING RAPIDLY,
AND NO ONE'S QUITE SURE WHY.
SO I'M GONNA TRY AND GET A LITTLE BIT CLOSER,
CHECK OUT HOW HEALTHY THIS HERD IS.
Narrator: THE HORSES APPEAR COMPLETELY NORMAL,
BUT NOW SOMETHING IS KILLING THEM OFF.
TO FIND OUT WHAT IS GOING ON,
MARY-ANN IS GOING TO COLLECT A TEST SAMPLE.
I'VE GOT TO FILL THIS WHOLE THING UP WITH HORSE DOO-DOO.
Narrator: THIS DUNG SAMPLE SHOULD REVEAL
WHETHER IT'S DISEASE OR RADIATION
WHICH IS HAVING SUCH A CATASTROPHIC EFFECT
ON THE HORSES.
PROFESSOR TIM MOUSSEAU,
A BIOLOGIST FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA,
HAS BEEN STUDYING A RANGE OF ANIMALS
ACROSS THE ZONE FOR 15 YEARS.
-TIM, HI. -MARY-ANN.
SO NICE TO MEET YOU. -HOW'S IT GOING?
Narrator: NOTHING IS ALLOWED TO LEAVE THE EXCLUSION AREA,
SO PROFESSOR MOUSSEAU HAS SET UP A LAB
INSIDE AN ABANDONED BUILDING IN THE ZONE.
WELCOME TO OUR HUMBLE ABODE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
TIM, THAT'S IT. THE GAMMA SPECTROMETER.
LOOK AT THAT!
SOLID LEAD BLOCKS HELD TOGETHER WITH DUCT TAPE.
[ Chuckling ] YES.
OKAY. HERE'S THE SAMPLE.
THE SPECTROMETER MEASURES THE RADIATION IN THE DUNG.
LET'S SEE WHAT WE GET.
WOW.
LOOK AT THAT.
WE HAVE A -- -THAT'S A HUGE SIGNATURE.
WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE?
THAT IS GOING UP AND UP AND UP.
YEAH. NO, THIS IS QUITE INCREDIBLE.
MM.
AND WE'VE GOT THAT BLUE SPIKE --
CS-137. THAT'S THE RADIOACTIVE CESIUM.
THAT'S THE RADIOACTIVE CESIUM
THAT'S DOMINANT IN THE CHERNOBYL ZONE. YEP.
EVEN THOUGH THESE HORSES ARE IN THE COOL-RADIATION ZONES,
THE CONTAMINATION IN THEIR BODIES
IS EXTREMELY HIGH.
AND THAT IS GOING TO HAVE PROFOUND IMPACT
ON THOSE HORSES' HEALTH.
THAT IS -- THAT IS WHOLESALE DAMAGE.
I'M REALLY, REALLY SHOCKED, ACTUALLY.
WELL, THOSE RESULTS WERE STAGGERING.
THAT DUNG SAMPLE WAS TAKEN
FROM A COLD AREA OF THE EXCLUSION ZONE,
BUT THE CESIUM-137 LEVELS WERE THROUGH THE ROOF.
Narrator: OVER TIM ETHE LOW-LEVEL RADIATION
IS BUILDING UP IN THE HORSES' BODIES
TO TOXIC AMOUNTS.
AND THAT COULD BE WHAT'S CAUSING THE HORSE POPULATION NUMBERS
TO DROP.
COMING UP, ROB IS ABOUT TO INVESTIGATE
A STMYERIOUS CHANGE
IN ONE OF CHERNOBYL'S ICONIC ANIMALS --
THE WOLVES.
Narrator: BIOLOGIST ROB NELSON
AND ANTHROPOLOGIST MARY-ANN OCHOTA
ARE TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT EXTREME NUCLEAR RADIATION
HAS DONE TO LIVING CREATURES OUND CHERNOBYL.
ROB IS ON THE TRAIL OF A STRANGE CHANGE
IN THE GROWING WOLF POPULATION.
WOLVES HAVE HAD REPORTS OF BEING VERY --
PRETTY AGGRESSIVE, AND WOLVES ARE NOT REALLY AGGRESSIVE.
WOLVES ARE VERY INTELLIGENT.
THEY TRY TO STAY AWAY FROM PEOPLE.
BUT WE'RE DEALING WITH SOMETHING
THAT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT HERE, YOU KNOW?
WE'RE DEALING WITH WOLVES
THAT HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO RADIOACTIVITY.
Narrator: ROB TEAMS UP WITH WOLF EXPERT MARYNA SHKVYRIA,
WHO'S BEEN STUDYING THE WOLVES HERE FOR OVER 10 YEARS.
SHE REVEALS AN ALARMING PIECE OF INFORMATION.
SO, THE WOLVES HERE HAVE BEEN
EATING SOME LIVESTOCK, DOGS,
AND THERE WAS AN ATTACK ON HUMANS.
A GROUP OF TEMPORARY WORKERS WERE IN THE ZONE
WHEN, SUDDENLYA , LONE WOLF
ATTACKED THEM, BITING THEM REPEATEDLY.
[ INDISTINCT SHOUTING ]
SIX PEOPLE WERE TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL
FOR STITCHES AND RABIES TREATMENT.
[ HOWLING ]
WOLF ATTACKS ON HUMANS ARE EXCEPTIONALLY RARE,
ESPECIALLY ON A GROUP OF PEOPLE.
I'M JUST THINKING BACK TO WHEN I GREW UP.
I HEARD THAT WOLVES NEVER ATTACKED HUMANS.
THIS COULD BE JUST AN ISOLATED CASE,
BUT THE LOCALS HERE FEAR
THAT RADIATION IS CHANGING THE WOLVES' BEHAVIOR.
ROB WANTS TO SET UP CAMERA TRAPS TO SEE THE WOLVES IN ACTION.
BUT THEY OFTEN HUNT AFTER DARK,
WHICH MEANS ROB HAS TO GO INTO THE FOREST
OF THE CHERNOBYL EXCLUSION ZONE AT NIGHT.
ALMOST 9:00 AT NIGHT RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVEN'T PASSED ANYBODY IN A WHILE.
THIS, UH, FOREST AT NIGHT --
IT'S A LOT EASIER TO BELIEVE THE STORIES OF MUTANT ANIMALS.
WE'RE HOPING WE CAN GET CLOSE ENOUGH TO SEE THESE WOLVES
THROUGH THESE CAMERA TRAPS,
'CAUSE WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT THEIR BEHAVIOR'S LIKE.
Narrator: THESE CAMERA TRAPS CAPTURE AN IMAGE
WHENEVER AN ANIMAL BREAKS THE BEAM.
BUT ROWIB LL NEED TO SEE MUCH MORE
THAN A PASSING GLIMPSE OF A WOLF.
HE WILL NEED TO CAPTURE BEHAVIOR
THAT'S NEVER BEEN SEEN ON CAMERA BEFORE.
This is my chance to see
if the wolves really are behaving strangely.
If so, this will be the first time
that something like this will be documented.
Narrator: SUDDENLY, THEY HEAR SOMETHING.
SHH, SHH.
What was that?
[ HOWLING IN DISTANCE ]
Narrator: MARYNA HAS A PLAN.
She said she's gonna do something real quick.
I think she's gonna try to call them in.
[ CALLING ]
[ HOWLING IN DISTANCE ]
[ CALLING ]
Narrator: HOPING THEY'VE LURED THE WOLVES CLOSER TO THE TRAPS,
THEY DECIDE TO CALL IT A NIGHT.
LET'S LEAVE THE CAMERA TRAPS.
WE'LL LEAVE THEM FOR A COUPLE DAYS, SEE WHAT WE GET.
COMING UP, MARY-ANN COMES FACE TO FACE...
OH, MY GOD.
Narrator: ANTHROPOLOGIST MARY-ANN OCHOTA
AND BIOLOGIST ROB NELSON ARE WORKING IN CHERNOBYL,
THE MOST RADIOACTIVE SITE ON THE PLANET, TO FIND OUT
WHAT EXTREME RADIATION HAS DONE TO LIFE HERE.
WE'RE STAYING THE NIGHT IN THE EXCLUSION ZONE
IN CHERNOBYL TOWN.
SOMEONE JUST RAN IN WHILE WE WERE HAVING DINNER
AND SAID, "THERE'S A WILD BOAR IN THE CAR PARK."
AND IT'S HERE JUST TOTALLY UNBOTHERED.
BOY, IT'S MASSIVE!
I VEHA TO SAY, I'M KIND OF LOST FOR WORDS.
IT'S SO CLOSE. AND THAT WEIGHS MORE THAN I DO.
AND I KNOW THAT WILD BOAR KILL PEOPLE.
UM, THEY GORE THEM AND --
OH, MY GOD.
Narrator: ACROSS THE ZONE,
THE NUMBER OF WILD BOAR HAS SOARED.
I THINK HE'S EATING SOME KIND OF NUT
FROM THE TREE THAT'S ABOVE US.
IT'S GOT AN INCREDIBLY HARD SHELL
, FROM THE TREE THAT'S ABOVE US.
AND THIS BOAR IS JUST CRUNCHING THROUGH THEM.
JUST GOES TO SHOW JUST HOW POWERFUL THEIR JAWS ARE,
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THEY'RE SO DANGEROUS.
Narrator: THE OTHER DANGER IS HIDDEN.
THESE BOARS ARE RADIOACTIVE.
THEY EAT THE ZONE'S TOXIC PLANTS,
CONCENTRATING THE POISON IN THEIR BODIES.
AND WHEN THEY ROAM OUTSIDE THE ZONE,
THEY ARE HUNTED AND EATEN BY THE LOCALS.
YOU CAN SEE THIS IS HOW BOARS FEED.
THEY GET THEIR NOSES RIGHT DOWN INTO THE DIRT,
GRUBBING UP ROOTS,
EATING MUSHROOMS, BERRIES,
AND THAT'S WHY THEY'RE SO SUSCEPTIBLE
TO GETTING CONTAMINATED.
IF YOU EAT WILD BOAR,
YOU'RE INGESTING EVERYTHING THAT THAT ANIMAL HAS TAKEN IN.
IT MAKES THE MEAT REALLY DANGEROUS.
Narrator: BUT WHO HUNTS THESE ANIMALS?
AND WHY WOULD THEY WANT TO EAT THE TOXIC MEAT?
[ ANIMAL BARKS ]
THE NEXT MORNING,
MARY-ANN DISCOVERS SOME STARTLING INFORMATION.
DESPITE ARMED PERIMETER CHECKPOINTS IN CHERNOBYL,
SHE'S HEARD SOME FORMER RESIDENTS
HAVE SNEAKED BACK IN AND NOW LIVE HERE PERMANENTLY.
AS AN ANTHROPOLOGIST, MARY-ANN IS EAGER TO LEARN MORE.
SHE'S DETERMINED TO TRACK THE PEOPLE DOWN.
I FEEL LIKE A SPY FROM LONG-GONE SOVIET DAYS
BECAUSE I'VE HAD TO ARRANGE THIS RATHER CLANDESTINE MEETING
WITH SOMEONE WHO KNOWS ABOUT PEOPLE
WHO LIVE IN THE EXCLUSION ZONE.
THE AUTHORITIES ARE AWARE THAT PEOPLE COME IN HERE,
BUT THEY'RE NOT REALLY KEEN ON ME TALKING TO THEM.
Narrator: IVAN WORKS LEGALLY IN THE ZONE AT THE LOCAL FIRE STATION.
HE'S AGREED TO TAKE MARY-ANN TO MEET TWO PERMANENT RESIDENTS.
-IVAN IVANOVYCH, MARY-ANN. -MARIYA.
[ CONVERSING IN RUSSIAN ]
SO, YOU LIVE HERE PERMANENTLY?
Narrator: IVAN AND MARIYA CAME BACK TO CHERNOBYL
JUST TWO YEARS AFTER THE MELTDOWN.
50 YEARS?
SO YOU REMEMBER WHEN THE DISASTER HAPPENED?
[ SPEAKING RUSSIAN ]
IVAN IVANOVYCH SAYS HE REMEMBERS
EXACTLY THE MOMENT THE DISASTER HAPPENED.
THEY WERE PLANTING VEGETABLES,
AND SUDDENLY, THE EVACUATION HAD TO HAPPEN.
THEY WERE TOLD THEY HAD TO LEAVE THEIR HOME.
BUT WHY WOULD THEY WANT TO RETURN TO THIS DESERTED,
RADIOACTIVE VILLAGE?
OH, MY GOSH!
THAT'S TERRIBLE!
THEY THOUGHT THAT YOU WERE TAINTED?
WHEN THEY WERE EVACUATED,
THE AREA THAT THEY WERE RESETTLED TO --
THE PEOPLE THOUGHT
THAT THEY WERE TAINTED, CONTAMINATED BY CHERNOBYL,
SO WHEN THEY WENT TO THE SHOP, EVERYONE ELSE WOULD DISAPPEAR.
Narrator: TREATED AS OUTCASTS OUTSIDE CHERNOBYL,
THEY PREFERRED NUCLEAR FALLOUT TO ISOLATION.
AHA. THESE ARE CARROTS.
THERE ARE NO SHOPS HERE,
SO THIS COUPLE LIVE MAINLY ON WHAT THEY CAN GROW ON THE LAND.
CARROTS, CORN, PEAS.
YOU EVER WORRIED ABOUT THE CONTAMINATION IN THE GROUND?
[ SPEAKING RUSSIAN ]
HE SAYS THATHE T LIQUIDATORS, THE CLEAN-UP WORKERS
CAME HERE AND REPORTED
THAT THE LAND WAS CLEAN ENOUGH FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE.
Narrator: BUT RADIATION IS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE
TO ERADICATE COMPLETELY.
AND EVEN LOW-LEVEL RADIATION CAN BUILD UP TO DANGEROUS LEVELS
WITHIN THE ANIMALS AND PLANTS.
IT'S WARM IN HERE. IT'S NICE.
HAVING TO SURVIVE ON WHAT THEY GROW
OR FIND IN THE ZONE
COULD BE PUTTING IVAN AND MARIYA IN DANGER.
Ochota: IT'S CLEARLY A HARD LIFE THESE TWO LIVE.
Narrator: IVAN AND MARIYA ARE NOT THE ONLY RESIDENTS.
IT'S ESTIMATED THAT OVER 150 PEOPLE
ARE NOW LINGVI IN THIS TOXIC WASTELAND.
DISCOVERING THAT PEOPLE LIVE HERE PERMANENTLY
IS AN ABSOLUTE GAME-CHANGER.
WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE CONSEQUENCES
OF LONG-TERM RADIATION EXPOSURE
NOT JUST FOR THE SAKE OF THE ANIMALS
BUT FOR THE SAKE OF THE PEOPLE.
Narrator: IT'S BEEN 24 HOURS
SINCE BIOLOGIST ROB NELSON
AND WOLF EXPERT MARYNA SHKVYRIA SET CAMERA TRAPS
TO TRY AND CAPTURE WILD BEHAVIOR OF CHERNOBYL'S WOLVES.
ETTY COOL. WOW.
IS THAT A MALE RIGHT THERE?
REMARKABLY, THE FOOTAGE SHOWS A WOLF EATING ITS PREY --
A UNIQUE CHANCE TO OBSERVE ITS BEHAVIOR.
TELL ME WHAT YOU CAN ABOUT THE BEHAVIOR HERE
OF THIS WOLF EATING.
YOU CAN SEE RIGHT THERE THAT HE'S GROWLING.
YEAH, HE'S DEFINITELY BEINAGG GRESSIVE RIGHT THERE
TO SOMETHING -- YOU CAN SEE HIS FANGS.
ALL RIGHT. I MUST SAY, IT'S A LITTLE BIT SCARY
SEEING THAT AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR IN THE WOLVES.
AT THE SAME TIME, WE'RE REALLY LUCKY
TO HAVE SEEN IT, 'CAUSE IT'S REALLY, REALLY RARE
TO SEE SOMETHING LIKE THAT IN THE WILD.
I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT THE WOLF WAS LOOKING AT.
JUST FROM THAT PICTURE, IT'S REALLY HARD TO TELL.
SO, THE SCIENTISTS ARE GONNA CONTINUE THEIR RESEARCH.
THEY'RE GONNA TAKE DNA SAMPLES, TRY TO FIGURE OUT
WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THESE RADIOACTIVE WOLVES.
Narrator: ROB AND MARY-ANN
ARE ABOUT TO FACE THEIR BIGGEST CHALLENGE YET.
THEY ARE MOVING INTO THE HIGHEST RADIATION AREAS,
INVESTIGATING ONE OF THE ZONE'S MOST LETHAL SPOTS...
-GOOD LUCK. -THANKS.
STAY SAFE, ROB.
...CHERNOBYL'S INFAMOUS RED FOREST.
THIS HOT ZONE HAS NEVE R BEEN FULLY EXPLORED BEFORE.
-YOU GETTING NERVOUS. -YEAH. A LITTLE NERVOUS.
-SURE. -I'M GOOD.
-YEAH? -I'M GOOD. YEAH.
Narrator: AFTER THE EXPLOSION,
THE WIND BLEW A VAST RADIOACVETI CLOUD WEST,
WHERE IT RAINED ITS TOXIC CONTENTS ON THIS AREA.
FOR OBVIOUS REASONS,
THERE HASN'T BEEN THAT MUCH EXPLORATION
IN THE REALLY HOT AREAS.
EVEN DECADES LATER,
THE LEVELS OF CONTAMINATION HERE ARE LETHAL IF YOU STAY TOO LONG.
SO WE'VE ONLY GOT A SHORT TIME.
TIM, I KEEP HAVING TO REMIND MYSELF
THAT THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS ENVIRONMENT,
BECAUSE THE THREAT IS SO INVISIBLE.
IT JUST LOOKS LIKE A BEAUTIFUL FOREST.
IT REALLY IS ONE OF THE MOST RADIOACTIVE PLACES
ON THE PLANET, ACTUALLY.
Narrator: MARY-ANN HAS BEEN JOINED BY BIOLOGIST PROFESSOR
TIM MOUSSEAU.
OKAY. LET'S SEE WHAT THE RADIATION REALLY IS DOING HERE.
[ METER CRACKLES ] WHOA!
AND THAT'S FROM ALMOST A METER FROM THE GROUND.
662, 686, 747.
THAT IS EXTREMELY --
THAT IS THE HIGHEST I'VE SEEN SINCE WE'VE BEEN IN THE ZONE.
BUT THE FOREST HIDES AN EVEN MORE DEADLY THREAT --
A MAJOR RISK NOT JUST TO LIFE HERE BUT ACROSS THE PLANET.
-OH, MY GOODNESS, TIM. -MAJOR DISASTER POTENTIAL.
Naatrror: ANTHROPOLOGIST MARY-ANN OCHOTA
AND BIOLOGIST ROB NELSON
ARE CONTINUING TO UNCOVER THE IMPACT
OF LONG-TERM RADIATION EXPOSURE
ON BOTH HUMANS AND WILDLIFE IN CHERNOBYL'S EXCLUSION ZONE.
NOW THEY'RE INVESTIGATING THE RED FOREST,
ONE OF THE HOTTEST RADIOACTIVE ZONEONS EARTH.
UH, THAT'S NOT NORMAL.
THAT'S A REALLY OLD TREE THAT ISN'T REALLY DECAYING.
YEAH, WELL, IN FACT, THIS IS ONE OF THE TREES
THAT DIED DURING THE TIME OF THE EXPLOSION.
THIS IS PART OF THE SO-CALLED RED FOREST.
RED FOREST BECAUSE ALL THE TREES TURNED RED AFTER THEY DIED.
WOW.
AND, UH, AS YOU CAN SEE, YOU KNOW, 28 YEARS LATER, PLUS,
IT'S ALMOST INTACT.
YOU KNOW, THE WOOD'S STILL ALL THERE.
YOU KICK IT, IT'S HARD.
STRANGEL TY,HE DEAD TREES ARE NOT DECOMPOSING.
AND ON THE GROUND ARE COUNTLESS YEARS' WORTH OF LEAVES,
ALL AS CRISP AS WHEN THEY FIRST FELL.
YOU CAN SEE THAT IT'S PRETTY THICK.
WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?
YEAH, THAT'S YEARS OF ACCUMULATED MATTER.
THE EXTREME RADIATION HAS WIPED OUT EVEN THE ORGANISMS
THAT CAUSE DECAY.
SO, IF YOU HAVEN'T GOT THE LITTLE CRITTERS,
THE BACTERIA, THE FUNGUS THAT'S BREAKING DOWN THE STUFF
ON THE FOREST FLOOR, THEN, EFFECTIVELY,
YOUR WHOLE ECOSYSTEM PYRAMID IS GONNA FALL APART, RIGHT?
WE THINK IT HAS MAJOR IMPACTS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THE BIGGER THREAT, WE THINK,
STEMS FROM THE FACT THAT YOU'VE GOT ALL THIS FUEL
ON THE GROUND FOR A POTENTIAL FOREST FIRE,
AND THIS FUEL IS DIFFERENT THAN REGULAR FUEL.
OH, MY GOODNESS, TIM.
SO, IT'S NOT JUST A FOREST FIRE.
IT'S A RADIOACTIVE FOREST FIRE.
THAT IS TERRIFYING. BECAUSE IF THIS SETS ON FIRE,
ALL THAT RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL
GOES UP INTO THE AIR, SPREADS,
AND FALLS ON PEOPLE'S HOMES, SCHOOLS, PARKS, FARMS.
WE'VE GOT ANOTHER SADISTER ON OUR HANDS.
YEAH. MAJOR DISASTER POTENTIAL.
THE RADIOACTIVITY HAD ACCUMULATED WITHIN THE LEAVES
BEFORE THEY FELL.
BUT HOW MUCH CONTAMINATION WOULD BE RELEASED IN A FIRE?
THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY TO FIND OUT.
MARY-ANN WILL HAVE TO COLLECT SOME LEAVES
AND DO A CONTROLLED-BURN EXPERIMENT.
DEEPER IN THE RED FOREST, ROB IS SEARCHING FOR BUGS.
IN THIS SUPER-HOT ZONE,
MOST INSECT POPULATIONS WERE DECIMATED.
SOME SPECIES THAT SURVIVED SHOW DEFORMITIES
AND MUTATIONS.
Nelson: SINCE BUGS DON'T LIVE VERY LONG,
THEY'RE ALREADY MANY GENERATIONS OUT FROM THE INITIAL EXPOSURE.
AND THAT'S WHY THEY'RE ALREADY SHOWING THESE GENETIC CHANGES
AND MUTATIONS.
WOW. LOOK AT THAT.
SPIDERS ARE IN HERE. THAT'S FOR SURE.
Narrator: THE SPIDERS MAY LOOK NORMAL, BUT THEY'RE NOT.
JUST TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT THEIR WEBS.
COMPARED TO HEALTHY SPIDERS,
THE RADIOACTIVE ONES OF CHERNOBYL
SEEM TO BE WEAVING ERRATIC WEBS.
DISTORTED.
DEFORMED.
IN EXPERIMENTS,
SPIDERS THAT WERE GIVEN DRUGS HAVE SHOWN SIMILAR BEHAVIOR.
IT'S AFFECTING THEIR SURVIVAL
AND COULD BE A SIGN OF GENETIC MUTATION.
BACK ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RED FOREST,
MARY-ANN IS GATHERING MATERIAL
FOR A CONTROLLED-BURN EXPERIMENT.
Ochota: WELL, IF I'M GONNA GET DOWN
AND COLLECT THOSE LEAF SAMPLES, THIS IS NOT ENOUGH.
I NEED TO BE WEARING ONE OF THESE WITH A FRESH FILTER.
IT'S SO EASY TO UNDERESTIMATE THE THREAT.
AND IT'S ONLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE MONITORS
THAT YOU REALIZE THAT THE RADIATION HIT
THAT YOU'RE TAKING IS ENORMOUS.
AND IF YOU DON'T DO IT RIGHT, IT COULD KILL YOU.
YOU DON'T NEED TOO MUCH TO RUN THE TEST,
'CAUSE THEY'RE COVERED IN THE RADIOACTIVE DUST.
THEY LOOK INNOCENT, BUT THEY'RE ABSOLUTELY DEADLY.
Narrator: MARY-ANN IS ALMOST FINISHED WITH HER WORK IN THE RED FOREST.
SHE JUST HAS SOME FINAL READINGS LEFT TO TAKE.
COMING UP...
Ochota: IAIN, IAIN.
-GET BACK, GET BACK! -THAT'S GONE OVER!
Narrator: ANTHROPOLOGIST MARY-ANN OCHOTA
IS WORKING IN ONE OF THE HIGHEST RADIATION ZONES
IN CHERNOBYL -- THE RED FOREST.
Ochota: OH, MY GOODNESS.
IAIN, IAIN. [ METER WHINES ]
-GET BACK, GET BACK! -IT'S GONE OVER.
-GET BACK. -GUYS, GUYS,
COME AWAY FROM THERE!
COME AWAY! -EVERYBODY BACK!
COME ON!
WHAT IS THAT?
IT WENT UP TO 3,000.
AND THEN IT JUST SAID, "OVER."
WOW.
[ COUGHS ]
-OKAY. -NO NEED TO PANIC.
SO, I WAS JUST SCANNING THE MOSS IN THIS SECTOR OF THE RED FOREST
TO SEE WHAT THE READINGS WERE,
AND WE SAW THIS METALWORK JUST --
OH, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT IT IS.
AND IT SHOT UP THE READINGS --
2,000, 3,000, THEN SUDDENLY IT JUST SAID, "OVER."
AND, UH, IAIN GOT US ALL BACK REALLY QUICKLY,
THE PRINCIPLE BEING THAT IF YOU DOUBLE YOUR DISTANCE
FROM THE SOURCE, YOU QUARTER YOUR DOSE.
SO WE'RE ALL SAFE. WE'RE ALL SAFE?
-YEP. -OKAY.
AND WE NEED TO INFMOR THE AUTHORITIES
THAT THIS SOURCE IS HERE.
OBVIOUSLY, MAYBE THEY PUT THE METAL ON TOP,
WHOEVER IT WAS, TO KIND OF SHIELD
SOME KIND OF RIDICULOUSLY RADIOACTIVE,
RIDICULOUSLY DANGEROUS MATERIAL THAT'S UNDER THERE.
[ EXHALES SHARPLY, LAUGHS ]
OHH.
Narrator: STILL REELING FROM HER NEAR MISS,
MARY-ANN WANTS TO FIND OUT JUST HOW BIG A THREAT THE LEAVES ARE.
USING A TINY HANDFUL OF THE SAMPLE,
A CONTROLLED-BURN TEST
WILL SHOW HOW MUCH RADIOACTIVITY WILL BE RELEASED
IF THEY WERE TO CATCH FIRE.
THEY'RE BURNING INCREDIBLY FAST BECAUSE THEY'RE SO DRY.
[ METER CRACKLING ] WOW. LOOK AT THAT.
THE ASH IS HIGHLY CONTAMINATED.
BUT SO IS THE WATER
THAT I'VE USED TO DAMPEN THE FIRE.
HONESTLY, IF THIS WERE A FOREST FIRE
ON A MASSIVE SCALE,
ALL THE ASH WOULD BE UP IN THE AIR,
RAINING DOWN ON LAND
MUCH FURTHER AWAY THAN THE RED FOREST.
AND ALL THE WATER WOULD BE CONTAMINATED.
[ CRACKLING CONTINUES ]
THAT IS SCARY.
WOW. YOU THINK YOU'RE JUST BURNING LEAVES,
AND THEN YOU REMEMBER, ONCE AGAIN,
THAT THEY ARE RADIOACTIVE LEAVES COVERED IN CESIUM-137,
AND IF THAT GETS INTO YOUR INTERNAL ORGANS,
IF IT GETS INTO YOUR RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
OR ON YOUR SKIN, YOU'RE IN DIRE STRAITS, RIGHT?
YOU ARE INDEED.
Narrator: MARY-ANN AND ROB HAVE ONLY TWO DAYS LEFT
BEFORE THEIR PERSONAL RADIATION LEVELS ARE MAXED OUT.
THEY NOW FACE THEIR ULTIMATE CHALLENGE --
THE COOLING POND RIGHT
AT THE FOOT OF REACTOR NUMBER FOUR.
ALL RIGHT. SO, RIGHT BACK THERE --
THAT'S REACTOR NUMBER FOUR, THE SARCOPHAGUS,
AS A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKE TO CALL IT.
THEY COVERED THE WHOLE THING UP AFTER IT, YOU KNOW, PEW!
BLEW UP. AND IT'S 30 YEARS LATER.
IT'S STARTING TO DEGRADE.
SO THEY'RE BUILDING ANOTHER GIANT STRUCTURE RIGHT THERE.
IT'S HUGE.
I'M NOT ACTUALLY SUPPOSED TO FILM ALL OF IT,
SO I LET THE VAN KIND OF BE IN THE WAY.
AND I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO FILM ANY OF THAT STUFF, EITHER.
SO I WON'T.
Narrator: THE COOLING POND STILL CONTAINS LETHAL PLUTONIUM
AND URANIUM EJECTED FROM THE REACTOR.
THERE E ARTALES OF MONSTER FISH LURKING IN ITS NUCLEAR DEPTHS.
THIS PLACE IS SOMETHING.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S JUST THE MYSTERY OF WATER,
BUT THE COOLING POND HAS ALWAYS INSPIRED STRANGE STORIES.
AND I KNOW, LOGICALLY,
THERE ARE PROBABLY NO MONSTER FISH,
EXTREME MUTANTS,
BUT YOU CAN'T HELP BUTON WDER WHAT THE RADIOACTIVITY HAS DONE
TO THE CREATURES THAT LIVE HERE.
Narrator: ROB HAS BEEN GIVEN
SPECIAL ACCESS TO INVESTIGATE THESE WATERS.
HIS SAFETY TEAM IS ON HIGH ALERT.
THIS IS NO PLACE FOR AN UNEXPECTED DIP.
Nelson: SO, WE ARE VERY CLOSE TO THE REACTOR.
IT'S LITERALLY A STONE'S THROW AWAY THERE.
I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF RADIOACTIVE PARTICLES HERE --
URANIUM, PLUTONIUM --
ORIGINAL FUEL MATERISAL RIGHT HERE IN THE COOLING POND.
Narrator: SKEPTICAL THAT ANYTHING COULD SURVIVE THAT,
ROB'S BROUGHT AN UNDERWATER CAMERA TO INVESTIGATE.
ALL RIGHT.
LET'S SEE WHAT WE CAN FIND.
OH, WOW.
THIS IS AWESOME.
Narrator: DESPITE ITS LETHAL CONTENTS,
THE POND IS SURPRISINGLY PACKED WITH LIFE.
AND THEN, OUT OF THE DEPTHS...
SOMETHING BIGGER --
MUCH BIGGER.
IT LOOKS LIKE THERE COULD BE MONSTERS HERE AFTER ALL.
MARY-ANN IS DETERMINED TO FIND OUT.
SHE IS ATTPTEMING TO TEST THE DNA
OF THE COOLING POND'S MONSTER-SIZED FISH.
SHE'S USING AN IMPROVISED
BUT INGENIOUS DNA-COLLECTOR POLE.
Ochota: I'VE NEVER SEEN A FISH THAT BIG.
WOW!
IT'S A MONSTER!
Narrator: THE FISH ARE OVER SEVEN FEET LONG.
THEY'RE CATFISH, WELS CATFISH,
BUT ARE THEY MUTANT CATFISH?
OH, MY GOODNESS.
Narrator: TO ANALYZE THEIR DNA,
MARY-ANN NEEDS TO CATCH A TINY SAMPLE OF THE FISH.
SHARKS, THEY THROW GOATS IN.
CATFISH, YOU THROW BREAD AND BERRIES IN.
OH, NO! [ LAUGHS ]
I DIDN'T GET HIM.
THAT WAS THE BIGGEST FISH I'VE EVER SEEN IN A RIVER,
AND I MANAGED TO NOT STAB HIM!
Narrator: JEREMY WADE, MOVE OVER.
MARY-ANN MAY NOT BE A MASTER ANGLER,
BUT SHE WON'T GIVE UP EASY.
Ochota: OOH, THE BIG ONE'S COMING.
RIGHT. COME ON, MY MAN.
I'M GONNA TRY AND GET YOU.
[ GRUNTS ]
I THINK I GOT HIM.
Narrator: FINALLY, SUCCESS.
I THINK I ACTUALLY GOT HIM.
I SAW HIM SQUIRM AWAY.
OKAY. THAT'S MY SAMPLE.
WELL, AS COMIC AS THAT LOOKED,
IT ACTUALLY TOOK DAYS OF PERMITS FOR ME
TO GET PERMISSION TO FISH OFF THE BRIDGE.
FINALLY, I'VE GOT MY SAMPLE.
IT NEEDS DNA TESTING, AND THEN WE CAN FINALLY WORK OUT
WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THOSE MONSTER FISH.
Narrator: THE AMOUNT OF FISH SURVIVING AND THRIVING
IN THE COOLING POND IS ASTOUNDING.
MARY-ANN MEETS WITH FISH BIOLOGIST ADELAIDE LEREBOURS,
WHO IS CHECKING OUT A REMARKABLE DISCOVERY
THAT EXPLAINS WHY.
YOU DO YOUR RESEARCH IN THE MOST PRECARIOUS PLAYGROUND EVER.
YES.
SHE'S FOUND THAT SOME FISH ARE ABLE
TO PROTECT THEMSELVES AGAINST RADIATION DAMAGE
BY REPAIRING THEIR OWN DNA.
SO, YOU'RE SAYING, OVER THE PAST 30 OR SO YEARS
SINCE THE DISASTER HAPPENED,
THEY'VE ACTUALLY EVOLVED TO COPE BETTER.
WOW!
THE IDEA THAT ANIMALS
CAN EVOLVE TO ENDURE THIS EXTREME ENVIRONMENT
IS INCREDIBLE.
AND OTHER RESEARCH INSIDE CHERNOBYL'S EXCLUSION ZONE
HAS REVEALED ANOTHER VERY DEFINITE RAY OF HOPE.
IM MOUSSEAU AND OTHER RESEARCH INSIDE CHERNOBYL'S EXCLUSION ZONE
TO CATCH AN INCREDIBLY SPECIAL SPECIMEN.
-OKAY. NOW WE JUST WAIT, HUH? -YEAH.
WE JUST SIT BACK, HAVE A LITTLE COFFEE BREAK,
AND, UH, WAIT FOR THE BIRDS TO FLY IN.
-ALL RIGHT. -COOL.
Narrator: MANY OF THE BIRDS HERE SHOW SIGNS
OF SEVERE RADIATION DAMAGE --
CATARACTS, CANCERS, SMALLER BRAINS.
BUT A RARE FEW DON'T.
-NICE. -OH, WHAT DO WE GOT?
-TWO OF THEM. -EXCELLENT.
OHH.
SOME GREAT TITS? -THESE ARE GREAT TITS --
PARUS MAJOR. THEY ARE.
YEAH, THIS GOES HERE.
NOW -- AH! OH, GOODNESS.
OW! [ LAUGHS ]
YEAH, THEY GOT A LITTLE BITE, DON'T THEY?
YES, THEY DO.
JUST BITE MY FINGER THERE.
THE DARKER PATCH ON THE WING
SHOWS THAT THIS HUMBLE GREAT TIT IS A WORLD FIRST --
A SPECIES THAT IS ACTUALLY ADAPTING TO THE RADIATION.
YEAH, WE -- WE RECENTLY FOUND
THAT SOME OF THE SPEESCI OF BIRDS
ACTUALLY ARE DOING REASONABLY WELL
IN THESE AREAS OF HIGH CONTAMINATION.
HOW DOES THAT WORK?
BLD OOTESTS SHOW THAT THESE LITTLE BIRDS
HAVE EVOLVED TO PRODUCE ANTIOXIDANTS
THAT PROTECT THEM AGAINST RADIATION DAMAGE.
SO, THESE DIFFERENT BIRDS
ARE ADAPTING TO THE SITUATION THAT THEY'RE IN, THEN.
IT REALLY IS NATURAL SELECTION IN ACTION.
YEP. -THAT'S FASCINATING.
THESE BIRDS ARE ADAPTING TO THIS NUCLEAR ENVIRONMENT
AT A RATE THAT IS REALLY UNBELIEVABLE
FOR AN ANIMAL OF THIS COMPLEXITY.
AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IT'S BEEN SEEN IN THE WILD.
NOW, IF WE COULD UNDERSTAND THE MECHANISM
THAT ALLOWS THIS CHANGE TO HAPPEN,
THEN IT WOULD BE A REAL GAME-CHANGER.
Narrator: COMING UP, MARY-ANN MEETS SOME TINY CREATURES
THAT JUST MIGHT HOLD THE SECRET --
ONE THAT COULD REVOLUTIONIZE THE WAY
WE PROTECT OURSELVES FROM RADIATION.
WOW. THAT IS BIG.
Narrator: THEY'VE SEEN THE DEVASTATING EFFECTS
OF LONG-TERM RADIATION IN CHERNOBYL,
BUT ANTHROPOLOGIST MARY-ANN OCHOTA
AND BIOLOGIST ROB NELSON
HAVE NOW FOUND SIGNS THAT NATURE IS FIGHTING BACK.
MARY-ANN IS ASSISTING WITH AN EXPERIMENT
THAT COULD PROVE TO BE A LIFESAVER FOR HUMANS
. MARY-ANN IS ASSISTING WITH AN EXPERIMENT
I'M IN ONE OF THE MOST CONTAMINATED AREAS
OF THE WHOLE OF THE EXCLUSION ZONE.
WE'RE DUE WEST OF REACTOR NUMBER FOUR,
AND THIS IS WHERE A LOT OF THE FALLOUT HIT THE EARTH.
IT MAKES IT A FANTASTIC HABITAT TO STUDY.
Narrator: DR. ZBYSZEK BORATYNSKI
IS AN EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGIST TRAPPING
AND RESEARCHING MICE AND VOLES
THAT LIVE IN CHERNOBYL'S HOTTEST ZONES.
SO, INSIDE EACH TRAP ARE SOME --
THIS IS SUNFLOWER SEEDS, APPLE -- IS THAT POTATO?
THEY LIKE POTATO?
HA HA. THAT'S SWEET.
THEY BELIEVE THEY'VE UNCOVERED
A SECRET WEAPON AGAINST RADIATION DAMAGE.
AHA. THIS IS IT.
SO, WE'RE SETTING THIS TRAP UNDER THIS FEEDING STATION.
AND THE FEEDING STATION
IS THE CRUX OF THE WHOLE EXPERIMENT,
BECAUSE THESE PELLETS HERE CONTAIN WHAT THESE GUYS CLAIM
IS THE ULTIMATE SUPERFOOD.
BUT, ZBYSZEK, WHAT ACTUALLY IS IT?
SO, BY EATING THESE PARTICLES,
THESE MICE ARE ACTUALLY PROTECTING THEMSELVES
FROM THE IMPACT OF THE RADIOACTIVITY?
WOW. SUPERFOOD INDEED.
BEFORE THE FEEDING STATIONS WERE SET UP,
VOLES SHOWED SEVERE RADIATION SICKNESS,
INCLUDING SHRUNKEN INTERNAL ORGANS
AND SMALLER BRAINS.
BUT CAN A SIMPLE CHANGE IN DIET BE ENOUGH TO PROTECT THEM?
OH, HELLO.
HERE YOU GO.
AWW. THAT IS SO CUTE.
THAT'S A VOLE, RIGHT?
GORGEOUS.
ASTONISHINGLY, THIS VOLE APPEARS COMPLETELY NORMAL.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS -- IT LOOKS HEALTHY.
MEASUREMENTS SO FAR SUGGEST
THAT VOLES FED THE SPECIAL DIET SHOW
SIGNIFICANTLY LESS RADIATION DAMAGE.
THEN THIS VOLE WILL HAVE A NORMAL-SIZE BRAIN
EVEN THOUGH IT'S BEEN BORN AND LIVED
IN THIS VERY CONTAMINATED AREA?
THAT'S EXTRAORDINARY.
AND IF IT WORKS ON A MOUSE OR A VOLE,
COULD IT WORK ON PEOPLE?
WOW.
THAT IS BIG.
IT'S AN ASTONISHING DISCOVERY.
IF SOMETHING AS SIMPLE
AS ADDING AN INGREDIENT TO YOUR DIET
CAN PROTECT YOU FROM RADIATION
BY THAT GREAT A DEGREE,
THE IMPLICATIONS ARE FAR-REACHING.
THE RESEARCH HERE COULD IMPACT
ON THE SURVIVORS OF THE FUKUSHIMA DISASTER,
ON CANCER PATIENTS, ON LOTS
AND LOTS OF ANIMAL AND HUMAN LIVES.
THIS RESEARCH IS GROUNDBREAKING.
Narrator: FROM DISCOVERING THE DAMAGE DONE BY RADIATION,
EVEN IN THE COLD ZONES,
TO LEARNING CERTAIN SPECIES CAN ADAPT AND EVOLVE TO SURVIVE,
ANTHROPOLOGIST MARY-ANN OCHOTA AND BIOLOGIST ROB NELSON
HAVE COMPLETED THE MOST WIDE-RANGING SURVEY
OF THE EXCLUSION ZONE.
BEFORE THEY LEAVE, THERE'S NEWS ABOUT THE COOLING POND CATFISH.
THEIR DNA IS DIFFERENT FROM REGULAR CATFISH,
BUT DESPITE THE MUTATION,
THE FISH ARE ABLE TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE,
EVEN IN THIS EXTREME ENVIRONMENT.
THE LETHAL DAMAGE DONE BY MAN HERE IS INDISPUTABLE.
BUT THERE ARE DEFINITE SIGNS
THAT WHERE MAN IS NOT PRESENT,
NATU IRES ADAPTING IN WAYS WE NEVER EXPECTED.
WE THOUGHT THAT A NUCLEAR DISASTER THE SIZE OF CHERNOBYL
WOULD WIPE LIFE OUT FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS.
BUT NATURE HAS FOUGHT BACK.
IT'S CLAIMED ITS SPACE IN THE EXCLUSION ZONE.
WE'VE PAID A HIGH PRICE, BUT THERE IS HOPE.