With No Humans To Wreak Havoc Chernobyl Has Become An Unlikely Haven For Local Wildlife

The nuclear disaster that happened at Chernobyl in 1986 left a radioactive wasteland, meaning no human would be safe to live there. Just the name of the place conjurers up visions of huge mutant spiders and other nasties, intent on sucking out your brains. Or something similar.

But strangely, as it became a place abandoned by humanity, it meant the natural world had a chance to make it's mark on the landscape and it began to thrive once again.

Twenty-odd years after the level 7 meltdown that left the Ukrainian village deserted, it has now become something of a sanctuary for local wildlife and descendants of former residents' pets. These animals live free of the destruction usually wrought on their environment by humans, benefiting enormously from our departure.

Of course the animals themselves are still exposed to the radiation, but due to shorter lifespans and quicker breeding times they aren't as badly affected as a human might be.

This documentary follows the animals that call Chernobyl home, looking at the challenges they face and exploring how the domesticated pets relearned the survival skills of their ancestors, allowing them to once again live in the wild.

Because you never know when there's a mutant spider looking out for it's next meal.