The team of specialists of the Feldman Ecopark Centre of Cheiroptera Rehabilitation carried out an expedition to Chornobyl Exclusion Zone in July.
“The expeditions aimed at study of bats in Chornobyl Zone were launched as far back as 2007, so it is the 10th anniversary of our studies. We owe this opportunity to carry out the similar works to the graduate of the zoology department of V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University Serhii Hashchak Cand. Sc. (Biology), who invited us to study bats in the Zone. While during the previous years, we studied mainly the distribution of species, their number, etc., this year we, for the first time, started to study the influence of radiation pollution on health and condition of bats,” the chief of the Centre Anton Vlashchenko told.
The study of bats were carried out in the cities of Prypiat and Chornobyl, as well as in the neighbourhood of Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant. These locations have different levels of pollution – from relatively clear to heavily polluted ones. Thus, these researches will allow not only to assess the influence of radiation, but also to monitor the reaction of an organism on different radiation doses. The specialists of the Centre of Cheiroptera Rehabilitation took the necessary bio-probes, which will show the availability of radiation after-effects in them during the laboratory tests.
The scientific work was carried out under the support of the State Agency for Exclusion Zone and with the participation of the experts of the State Scientific and Research Organization “Chornobyl Centre for Nuclear Security, Radioactive Waste and Radioecology,” as well as the Institute of Problems of Nuclear Power Plant Security under the National Academy of Science of Ukraine. The financial support of the expedition was provided by the American Travelers Club and the International Charitable Foundation “Oleksandr Feldman Foundation.” The Virological Research Group under the University of Pécs (Hungary) was the international partner.
