Aftermath: Population Zero Page #3

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with 400 tons of spent nuclear fuel,

the result of atoms splitting

to create nuclear energy.

And split atoms keep

releasing heat and radiation.

The spent fuel is

contained in zircaloy tubes.

And they're dangerous.

If they're not kept under water,

they'll quickly heat up to 1000 degrees.

They need to be kept in

flowing, refrigerated water

for years before they cool off.

Nuclear storage sites can

be found all over the world.

There are 75 in the US alone.

The spent fuel is safe as

long as the generators stay on

and keep the water cool.

But if someone doesn't refill them,

they'll grind to a stop.

And this time, no one's coming.

Pets are now learning

to live off the land.

For some, life was once

rich with food, water.

But now, scrounging through

garbage is what provides meals.

As for water, things have

changed down by the river.

Pumps at the sewage treatment plants

don't work without electricity,

so raw human sewage is

seeping into lakes and rivers.

Abandoned pets aren't the only

animals struggling to survive.

The world is filled with cattle,

1.4 billion of them, and without humans,

they too have been forced

to fend for themselves.

Now that we're gone, 90,000 cows a day

are saved from slaughter in the US.

But dairy cows need 100 pounds of food

and 25 gallons of water

every day to survive.

With no electricity, their

water supply is drying up.

The cows are on their own.

In a cruel twist of fate,

they're safe from the slaughterhouse,

but they may all die from dehydration.

And things don't look much

better for zoo animals.

Trapped in their cages,

many of them will die.

But those once contained by electric

fences are prisoners no more.

They finally break free.

Elephants need up to

400 pounds of food a day,

and finding it in the

suburbs will be a struggle.

These enormous herbivores

will give a serious

pruning to each neighborhood they visit.

Predators also prowl the suburbs.

These hungry lions have spotted

another escapee from the zoo.

But lions are skilled

hunters on savannahs,

not in public parks.

And climbing plastic is one

challenge they can't win.

With the baboon out of reach,

they need to find some easier prey.

Camels, on the other hand, are

having no problem finding food.

They eat almost any vegetation,

grass, leaves, even thorns that

other animals avoid are on the menu.

And with food at every turn,

camels easily adapt to

a world without humans.

The lions have moved

from the park to the porch

as they continue their search for food.

On both sides of the glass, an

unexpected and unusual sight.

Overhead, birds are migrating.

And without humans around,

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