[srean]

Couldn't there be genes that help with repairing the radiation induced damage ?

From what I have read, flora and fauna around Chernobyl seems to have acquired degrees of radiation tolerance.

BTW I am a complete ignoramus in these matters.

[kulahan]

Yes. There isn’t much evolutionary benefit and it would be insanely calorically expensive, but there’s no reason a creature couldn’t evolve some kind of DNA repair or something to that effect.

Iirc, elephants almost never get cancer, nor do lobsters.

There are already bacteria found near Chernobyl which consume radiation.