It is the American non-profit organization Clean Futures Fund that has distributed a photo of a dog with blue fur. The organization is committed to communities affected by industrial disasters and its program Dogs of Chernobyl she focuses on stray dogs near the former nuclear power plant in Chernobyl.
Dogs with completely blue fur spotted at Chernobyl nuclear power plant: ‘A very unique experience’
Since October 6, three dogs with the remarkable blue fur have been sighted, the organization reports. Initially it was not clear what caused the phenomenon and the radioactive radiation in the area was examined, but the organization has now identified a much more likely culprit: a mobile toilet.
“They appear to have immersed themselves in a substance that has accumulated on their fur,” Jennifer Betz, director of the program, told the science site IFLScience.
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“We suspect that this substance came from an old portable toilet that was in the same location as the dogs, but we have not been able to confirm our suspicion with certainty. We are in no way saying that this is related to the radiation in Chernobyl.”
Video: Blue dogs spotted at Chernobyl
The organization’s veterinarians are convinced that the substance on the animals’ fur will not have any bad long-term effects. “The dogs appear healthy, just like the other dogs we saw and examined during our time in Chernobyl.”