Radioactive Boars!

Almost a quarter century after the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear meltdown in Ukraine, its fallout is still a hot topic in some German regions, where thousands of boars shot by hunters still turn up with excessive levels of radioactivity. In fact, the numbers are higher than ever before. Boars are among the species most susceptible to long-term consequences of the nuclear catastrophe 24 years ago. Unlike other wild animals, boars often feed on mushrooms and truffles which tend to store radioactivity. Also they plow through the contaminated soil with their snouts.

However, boars are actually the beneficiaries of another ecological crisis - climate change. Central Europe is turning into a land of plenty for the animals, as warmer weather causes plant to over produce and so farmers are able to grow more crops which boars like to eat. The number of boars in Germany has quadrupled or quintupled over the last years, as has the number of boars shot.

But forest soil in specific regions that were hit hardest after Chernobyl it still harbors high amounts of radioactive Cesium-137. In fact, the Cesium from the Chernobyl fallout is moving further into the ground and has now reached exactly the layer where the boars' favorite truffles grow. Therefore, the season for such truffles usually means a rising number of radioactive boars.
Experts so far have no evidence that the animals suffer from the relatively low levels of radioactivity accumulating in their bodies. Still authorities are striving to make sure no tainted meat enters the human food chain.

This is related to biology because this talks about how radioactive fallout from the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear meltdown in Ukraine is still in the soil. And it is contaminating the soil and truffles that the boars eat. People that live there hunt boars to eat and feed their families but since there's such large amounts of radioactivity they would not be able to eat it. Also if the radioactivity is in the soil wouldn't it also effect the plants that are growing there? This is important because this is a really serious problem. This radioactivity can effect us because if that was just fall out from the 1986 nuclear meltdown then what about all the other wars. wouldn't radioactivity be in other parts of the world too. Thats why its important to know this because Ukraine might not only be the place where there is radioactive fallout.

Link
http://www.aolnews.com/world/article/radioactive-boars-on-the-rise-in-germany/19600734