White storks have returned to Chernobyl for the first time in 20 years
The birds were spotted in the city centre, on the roof of an administrative building near the ‘Star of Polyn’ memorial.
This was reported by the Chornobyl Radiation and Ecological Biosphere Reserve.
Denis Vyshnevsky, head of the scientific department at the Chernobyl Radiation and Ecological Biosphere Reserve, photographed six white storks resting there.
“This is a real sensation for Chernobyl: the last time a white stork was recorded nesting in the city was 20 years ago. Over the past two decades, storks have only been observed in Chernobyl whilst passing through,” the reserve stated.
The appearance of six birds in the city centre may indicate new changes in the local population and “opens up interesting prospects” for further observations, say the scientists.
