More Good News.

A new study published by the University of Georgia reveals the rising abundance of wildlife in rural areas of Fukushima once previously inhabited by humans, but now abandoned after the meltdown of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in 2011. Over the course of four months, 160 cameras set up in the evacuated zones have taken 267,000 photos of more than 20 different animal species.

What makes this study important is that there was no previous data available in regards to how the aftermath of the nuclear disaster affected wildlife populations in evacuated areas, making the study’s findings a boon to scientists researching animal behavior patterns. The study also helps wildlife biologists and ecologists answer the pressing question: how does a disaster such as a nuclear meltdown affect the behavioral patterns of wildlife in a specific area?