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Abstract
Understanding the impacts of contamination events on wildlife is important for both remediation efforts and the generation of risk assessments. In this thesis, I used GPS and dosimetry data collected for wild boar (Sus scrofa leucomystax) living in and around the Fukushima Exclusion Zone (FEZ) to study the impact of the Fukushima Dai-ichi accident on the movement behavior and radiation exposure of wildlife. I found wild boar within the FEZ were more diurnal compared to those outside the zone and they utilized abandoned anthropogenic areas in addition to natural areas. I also found methods of estimating contaminant exposure using conservative inputs (i.e., assumed maximal exposures) consistently generated conservative estimates whereas methods incorporating finer-scale contaminant surveys and animal movement data produced the most realistic estimates. Collectively, my results contribute to our understanding of the impacts of nuclear accidents on wildlife and provide improved guidelines for conducting risk assessments in these areas.