(NewsNation) — Blue dogs were spotted earlier this month at the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone in Ukraine, according to multiple reports.
The dogs appeared to have bright blue fur, said the Clean Futures Fund.
The CFF acknowledged the canines might have gotten into a leaking porta-potty. The group added it’s unlikely that the bright blue fur is because of radiation or because someone spray-painted the dogs.
“They appear to have been rolling in a substance that had accumulated on their fur,” said Dr. Jennifer Betz, Veterinary Medical Director for the Dogs of Chernobyl program. “We are suspecting that this substance was from an old portable toilet that was in the same location as the dogs; however, we were unable to positively confirm our suspicions.”
According to CFF, the stray dogs — estimated at over 700 — living in the area are not allowed to leave. The hounds are the descendants of the dogs left behind in 1986 after an explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant led to evacuations around the site.
Just four years ago, a pack of blue dogs was seen roaming around the streets near an abandoned chemical plant in Dzerzhinsk, Russia. It was believed those canines were rolling around in copper sulfate, a pale-blue chemical used in manufacturing.