corn snake hatchling

During the Cold War arms race, both the US and USSR were testing top-secret, cutting-edge technologies that seemed beyond belief to deliver nuclear warheads effectively to the other side. The goal was to strike as quickly, quietly, and as devastatingly as possible. To accomplish this, in 1964 the Soviets began developing an audacious plan that turned their focus to a most unlikely place. While US attention was trained upwards towards aerial superiority, the USSR would instead target the ground beneath their feet. Underground, in fact… with a brand-new experimental vehicle nicknamed the "Battle Mole."

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What makes these cute, innocent, eager puppies so dangerous?

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They are among the roughly 900 strays who live in and around the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, where descendants of the pets live after being left behind in the hasty evacuation.

A recent study found the canines had accumulations of radioisotopes, and visitors are warned not to touch the dogs as their fur likely contains radioactive particles that are dangerous to human health. Researchers explain that most of the meat and water the dogs ingest every day is itself radioactive, and these particles accumulate to potentially dangerous levels in their bodies over time.

In addition, nearly every object or surface they touch in their habitat is contaminated with radiation. And as these particles attach themselves to the fur, the cuddly strays into cuddly, free-roaming radioactive potential pets to unsuspecting families. Fearing the growing population has already begun venturing outside of the exclusion area to come into contact with humans, an effort has begun to spay or neuter and release the radioactive pups to control their population.