Last updated: June 8, 2020
Video
Rediscovering a Lost Icon of the Arctic
Transcript
The ice age… a time where great sheets of ice floated on the surface of the earth carving and shaping the landscape we see today. A hearty creature stood and endured those howling winds and frozen tundra. Standing 5 feet tall at the top of their back and weighing up to 800 pounds, these giant mammals are the last living icon of the Pleistocene era in northern Alaska. Unlike their ice age companions, muskox were able to adapt as the earth’s climate began to change. Warmer temperatures drove the musk ox north and their populations began to dwindle, but as a species they were able to take refuge in the northern most regions of the globe, the arctic. With fine hairs called qiviut to help insulate, layered by long guard hairs overtop, these animals are designed to combat the coldest of temperatures. Spending their winters in the windswept hill tops and migrating to the lowlands in the summer, muskox rely on the tundra to furnish their diet of grasses, sedges, and mosses. If the harsh arctic winters weren’t enough of a challenge, muskox must also defend themselves against predators like wolves. Since conserving energy is their main survival adaptation, musk ox will form a circle to defend themselves when threatened. Older bulls and cows bunch up with their horns facing outward, placing the calves in the center for the best protection. Taking on a predator as a herd is much more effective and energy efficient compared to running away. In the Western Arctic National Parklands, muskox are occasionally seen around private residences and camps. Often viewed as a nuisance for trampling berry patches and flowers, their behavior can also appear aggressive. Especially around mid-summer, this is the time of year the males are in rut and can be seen sparring to prove their dominance. Unless provoked, that aggressive behavior is seldom aimed at humans. However dogs are a different story. Muskox are unable to distinguish a curious household pet from a hungry wolf. So when it comes to defending themselves, they treat both dogs and wolves as fierce predators. In the presence of muskox, give them space. Muskox may drift towards people’s camps, but they likely do that to escape predators. It is smart to keep a watchful eye on pets while around muskox. If a dog is even barking at a muskox, there is a very good chance they will be seriously injured. Muskox have played a significant role in the subsistence culture in northwest Alaska. Their qiviut is one of the rarest fibers in the world. Eight times warmer than wool, it can be collected and woven into hats and mittens. Muskox are also valued for their meat. A three year old bull, is said to taste the best. Typically not the largest animal in the herd, they can be identified by a crease of white hair in the middle of the horn boss and thick horn hooks pointing upward. Muskox are wild animals that have always been valued by people. Understanding their behavior can help humans coexist peacefully today and rediscover a lost icon of the arctic.
Description
Muskox are wild animals that have always been valued by people. Understanding their behavior can help humans coexist peacefully today and rediscover a lost icon of the arctic.
Duration
4 minutes, 31 seconds
Credit
NPS/Tyler Teuscher
Date Created
11/13/2014
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