MUSKOXEN
(Ovibos moschatus)

Muskoxen is an arctic mammal of the Bovidae family. They have a thick coat, curly horns and are usually around 2.5 m long and 1.4 m high at the shoulder. Adults usually weigh at least 200 kg and can exceed 400 kg. A strong odor emitted by males, from which its name derives. This musky odor is used to attract females during mating season.

Muskoxen are social and live in herds, usually of around 10–20 animals, but sometimes over 70. During the mating season, which peaks in mid-August, males compete for dominance. During this period all males are extremely aggressive. Bulls will even charge birds if they are close by.

Muskoxen are native to the Arctic areas of Canada, Greenland, and Alaska. The Alaska population was wiped out in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century, but muskoxen have since been reintroduced to Alaska. During the ice age they lived in scandinavia, but disappeared when the climate got warmer. In 1947 the musk ox was reintroduced to Dovrefjäll in Norway by the help of man. Since then their numbers have lessened. No one knows exactly why, but it is presumed to be caused by inbreeding.


The muskoxen of Polar Zoo

We have two muskoxen. One male and one female.