‘Blue dogs’ spotted near humanity’s worst nuclear disasters spots. Don’t worry, the likely reason proves pups are the same everywhere

Something startling has emerged from the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone: stray dogs living around the site of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, one of humanity’s worst, have turned strikingly blue. But before you picture radioactive “smurf-dogs,” the likely cause is far more mundane and reassuring.

In early October 2025, an animal-welfare team from the nonprofit Dogs of Chernobyl noticed three dogs with vivid blue fur in the Exclusion Zone, a restricted area spanning about 1,000 square miles around the plant. These dogs are part of an estimated 700 descendants of pets left behind when the reactor exploded in April 1986.

The dogs seemed active and otherwise healthy, but their sudden, dramatic color change understandably raised concerns about their well-being and what might be going on at the site.

Radioactive contamination or perhaps a mutation

Given the nuclear backdrop and the location’s reputation for radiation hazard, it’s easy to leap to the conclusion that the canine’s blue color is caused by radioactive contamination or mutation, or even perhaps human harassment or abuse.

According to Dogs of Chernobyl, the working theory is that the blue dogs came into contact with a non-toxic dye or chemical, perhaps leaking from a nearby porta-potty or contaminated container, rather than radiation or intentional spray-painting. In short, even dogs at Chernobyl can’t resist sticking their noses where they don’t belong.

It’s a lot like in the average suburbia, when Rover rolls through paint or dye without humans noticing. These canines in Chernobyl have likely done something similar. So yes — the pups are the same everywhere: curious, opportunistic, and prone to mess.

Dr Jennifer Betz, Veterinary Medical Director for the Dogs of Chernobyl program, told IFLScience they can’t be certain this is what caused the discoloration. But despite that uncertainty, she added, “We are not in any way saying that it is related to radiation in Chernobyl.”

Blue dogs on the loose

Notably, the blue dogs of Chernobyl are not the first discolored, blue-tinted dogs to cause alarm. In each case, investigators believe the dogs became tinted for similar reasons, according to National Geographic.

In 2017 and again in 2021, stray dogs in Taloja, near Mumbai, India, turned bright blue after wading through industrial waste in a river polluted by a dye-manufacturing plant. Tests later showed the coloration came from contact with blue pigment chemicals, not radiation or genetic mutation.

Similar cases have been reported in Russia and Chile, where factory runoff or discarded paint powder temporarily stained the animals’ fur. Veterinarians confirmed that in most instances, the dyes caused no lasting harm once the animals were cleaned and kept away from contaminated areas.

These incidents highlight how industrial pollution and chemical exposure — not biology — typically explain such striking color changes. Like the Chernobyl pups, these dogs remind us that curiosity and environmental factors often combine to create eye-catching but solvable mysteries.