Muskox

The muskox (Ovibos moschatus) looks like something from the Ice Age, easily pictured living alongside the mammoth and woolly rhinoceros. Its long hair hangs nearly to the ground and inspired the Inuit name umingmak, meaning 'bearded one'.

The muskox will close ranks with other members of the herd when threatened by predators, circling the young to protect them. With their heads and horns turned outwards, they make a formidable barrier. Unfortunately, this formation made them an easy target for hunters and muskoxen were almost extinct at the beginning of the twentieth century. They are now a protected species in Canada and are farmed in Alaska, where the soft underfur, qiviut, is woven and knitted into luxurious caps and scarves.

Gallery

ARKive photos and videos of the muskox