Chernobyl Adding to Wildlife Toll--on Swedish Roads

Swedish traffic officials said Monday that the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster in the Soviet Ukraine is partly to blame for a 10% increase in traffic deaths involving wildlife on the country’s roads.

The state Roads Board reported that until the end of October, 14,340 accidents had been caused by wildlife wandering onto roads, an increase of 1,300 over the same period of 1987.

“The Chernobyl effect is one factor which has caused a leap in the accident figures. There has been a drop in the number of animals being hunted and they are wandering on to the roads,” said Roads Board spokesman Thomas Andersson.

Hunters and wildlife enthusiasts stayed at home this year after scientists discovered increased radiation levels in stocks of game, lake fish, wild mushrooms and berries in the provinces of Sweden hardest hit by the Soviet nuclear disaster.