I spent two field seasons there in 1994-95. No deformities been found in mammals, whatsoever. We were not in Zone 3, however. But in Zone 2 (80-120 Ci/sq.km.)wildlife happily forgot what is the Homo Sapience thing, and just enjoyed life. Plant seeds and some fungi however showed stable high levels of Cs and Sr radioisotopes contamination. Which meant you could safely eat apples there, but dig down deep the remains of the fruits.
IANAB. It's strange that the seeds have more radioactivity than the pulp. Do you know the explanation?
Nothing strange. Cs 137 replaces potassium in meristemae, also in coleorhiza, radicle, and other parts of the seed .
The part that I think is strange is that it doesn't also replace potassium in the pulp. (Does the pulp have more water and less potassium?)
Germination tissues have specific molecular structures based on potassium, and pulp is made from lipids and pectines, basically carbs.
I've seen a documentation where it was stated that some species indeed thrive, but others don't have viable offsprings when breeding there. The birds you see there are all immigrants from less contaminated areas.
This canard keeps popping up with such regularity that one start to wonder what kind of interest group is spinning this. The space around Chernobyl is still a dead zone. The only reason why animal life doesn't die out there is the permanent inflow of healthy animals from outside contaminated area.
Open wildlife might be more accepting of any mutations(deformities) in wild animals than humans. Some study might be needed on the mortality rate of those animals or if any deformities occurred.
What is the CS monitor site? I have seen it before, and dismissed it due to the name (science and christianity often seem at odds).