Packs of Radioactive Wild Boar Find Refuge in Sweden
OutdoorHub Reporters 10.09.17
Things are getting weird in Sweden, as packs of radioactive wild boar are reportedly moving north, devastating farms and forest land.
The National Post reports one animal shot by hunters contained 10 times more than the safe level of radiation, which is believed to be caused by a cloud of radioactive dust that blew in after the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, and deposited caesium-137 in the ground.
Now, environmental experts are warning hunters in Gavle – 100 miles north of Stockholm – of “extremely high” levels of radiation tied to local wild boar.
According to reports, the soil contamination is said to be more concentrated in certain areas, and officials anticipate radiation levels among wild boar to continue to rise.
The biggest fear among Swedish officials isn’t necessarily that radioactive pigs may be taking over the country. Rather, fears are looming that hunters will stop shooting them altogether, which could cause the scenario to spiral out of control, with more pigs damaging forests and crops, and nobody to control the population.
