Several stray dogs living inside the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone in Ukraine have been found with bright blue fur, raising concerns among rescue groups monitoring the area.
The Clean Futures Fund, which runs the Dogs of Chernobyl program caring for about 700 animals, says the unusual coloring is most likely caused by exposure to a chemical substance rather than radiation.
Rescuers are working to capture and examine the affected dogs to determine what caused the discoloration and ensure their safety. The organization has spent years vaccinating, feeding, and monitoring stray dogs that descended from pets abandoned after the 1986 nuclear disaster.
Officials say there is no indication that the dogs pose any health risk to humans, but teams continue to investigate whether contamination from nearby industrial sites or discarded materials might explain the bright blue hue.