Nature
PUBLISHED
In science fiction exposure to radiation often gives characters superpowers. But that's ridiculous, right? All that too much radiation will give you is cancer or, for the really high exposures, acute radiation syndrome.
Someone had better tell this fox. Because growing up in the Chernobyl exclusion zone appears to have made it smart, even by the standards of the notoriously canny Vulpes vulpes.
Besides its capacity to pile bread and bacon together to make a seriously impressive sandwich, the fox shows little fear of humans. Most commentators have assumed that this is a consequence of living in the area humans have largely evacuated since the nuclear reactor exploded 29 years ago. It's also possible, however, that food in the zone is in such short supply that the fox was hungry enough to overcome its normal fear response.
On the surface animal life is thriving around Chernobyl, but species are experiencing contradictory and poorly understood effects on their health. With ecosystems failing the fox may be finding food in short supply.
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