13 February 2014 Musk Oxen

Musk oxen are one of the classic animals of the high arctic. Unlike the ground squirrel, they do not hibernate during the frigid winter. Instead, these animals are active all winter, and survive by eating lichens, mosses and shrubs. These animals became extinct in Alaska in the early part of the century, but have since been re-introduced to the arctic tundra. We saw this male at a farm where Musk oxen are bred in captivity.