Chernobyl dogs are evolving in strange ways

Rival packs of stray dogs scavenging for scraps around the Chernobyl fallout zone may be evolving faster than other animals to survive in one of the most hostile environments on Earth.

Scientists are analysing the impact of the world's worst nuclear disaster 36 years ago on semi-feral canines that roam the decaying, abandoned buildings of the power plant and the surrounding radioactive Red Forest.

Miraculously, the wild dogs are still able to breed and endure extreme winters while relying on scraps from tourists who are warned not to touch them.

The packs are thought to be descendants of dogs left behind by families during the chaotic evacuation. They are thought to have survived attempts by Soviet soldiers to shoot the animals to prevent the spread of radiation.

Researchers say humans can learn from the resilience of the 500 stray dogs whose numbers have increased in the 36 years after the accident.