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In the forests of southern Germany, there are roving bands of wild boars wreaking havoc. The shaggy-haired swine have been known to bite and charge at humans with their tusks, and are highly protective of their young. However, the creatures are also known to be incredibly radioactive—so much so that they’ve been deemed unsafe to eat.
While deranged packs of radioactive pigs might seem more suited for a post-apocalyptic video game, they certainly exist and researchers have been working to understand the mysterious origins of their irradiated nature for years. Luckily, some new research offers an answer as to why the swine are imbued with radiation: nuclear bombs.
A study published Wednesday in the journal American Chemical Society found nuclear weapons testing across the globe released enough fallout into the atmosphere to irradiate the wild pigs. The findings further underscore the dangers of nuclear testing and weapons for countries around the world—even if they’re not the ultimate target of bombs.