Summary
Rare footage has captured Przewalski's horses, a critically endangered wild horse species, thriving in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. This area, heavily contaminated due to the 1986 nuclear disaster, serves as a unique, human-free environment for these horses to live. A nonprofit organization documented this surprising sight and shared it on social media, where it gained significant attention.
Key Facts
- Przewalski's horses are considered the last species of wild horses.
- These horses were once extinct in the wild but have been reintroduced into areas like Mongolia and Chernobyl.
- In Chernobyl, 31 horses were introduced between 1998 and 1999 as part of a rewilding experiment.
- The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone covers about 1,600 square miles.
- By 2021, the horse population in Chernobyl was estimated to be between 150 and 180.
- The Dogs of Chernobyl team, part of a nonprofit, filmed the footage and shared it on TikTok.
- The video of the horses went viral, with over 8.3 million views.
- The Chernobyl area also hosts other wildlife, including around 250 stray dogs.
