Video: Bears Appear in Chernobyl for the First Time in a Century

For the first time in over 100 years, brown bears have been sighted in Chernobyl this year, according to BBC Ukraine.

“Due to the absence of humans, bears have returned to our area. They likely came to us from Belarus. We do not know how many of them are here. It is possible that some are already living here permanently. It is uncertain whether they are reproducing in our region. But this is just the beginning. Bears have not been present here for around a hundred years,” said Chernobyl researcher Sergey Gashchak.

Experts still do not know the exact number of animals. A significant number of lynxes and wolves have also been observed in the area. The wolves have come to Chernobyl, likely again from Belarus.