AFound across the Arctic tundra of northern Canada, the muskox is a large, hardy mammal that survived the last Ice Age alongside the woolly mammoth. Despite its name, the muskox shares more characteristics with sheep and goats than with true oxen; the name comes from the strong, musky odour that the males give off during the breeding season. Both males and females carry curved horns, and a thick double coat allows the muskox to endure the harsh polar winter. Although it was once abundant, this hardy species was hunted close to extinction across much of northern Canada before being carefully reintroduced.
BThe muskox's most distinctive characteristic is its remarkable coat. Beneath the long outer guard hairs lies a layer of soft underwool, known by the Inuit name qiviut, which is finer than cashmere and among the warmest natural fibres in the world. This underwool insulates the muskox so well that it can survive temperatures far below freezing, and each spring the muskoxen shed it in great clumps. The qiviut is then gathered and spun into valuable wool. Even young calves are protected by this thick coat within days of birth.
CFor generations, the muskox has held a special place in the culture of the Inuit, who call it umingmak, meaning "the bearded one." Traditional accounts describe the animal as a gift that allowed people to survive the long Arctic winters. Among scientists, one behaviour in particular long puzzled researchers: when threatened, a herd does not scatter but instead forms a tight defensive circle. Recent studies suggest that this circle, with the adults facing outward and the calves sheltered inside, is an effective response to predators such as wolves.
DMuskox behaviour also continues to interest researchers, who have observed muskoxen moving slowly across the tundra in search of grasses, roots, and lichen, which they reach by pawing through the snow. Muskoxen are well adapted to scarcity and can survive on very little. Because the muskox reproduces slowly, its populations recover only gradually after a decline, which leaves them vulnerable to harsh winters and over-hunting. To track these changes and protect each herd, conservationists fit some animals with radio collars and monitor the population closely.
