Musk Ox Animals Found In Greenland
Within these areas muskoxen receive full protection.
Musk ox animals found in greenland. The hunt brings the hunters into the real wilderness. From polar bears to arctic foxes wolves whales and mountain hare wildlife can be found in every corner of the island. The greenlandic musk oxen originate from just 27 animals which were flown from northeast greenland and set free in the 1960s. To find food musk oxen must dig beneath the snow.
In greenland their natural habitat was the southwest and northwest coasts but during the 1960s they were introduced to kangerlussuaq. The closest relative of the musk ox is the takin a goat antelope found in the eastern himalayas. In greenlandic their name is umimmak meaning the long bearded the musk oxen you see in the area around kangerlussuaq originally come from the population in northeast greenland. Because digging takes up energy during the winter the mammals avoid areas with deep snow.
Muskoxen have walked the tundra for close to a million years and are found all over the arctic. Musk ox are more closely related to sheep and goats than to oxen. Here are some of greenland s wild animals. Although this animal resembles a bison it is a very large goat noted for its thick coat and strong smell emitted by the male during the seasonal rut from which its name is derived.
Greenland is so close to both the us and northern europe but still so different and unique. Finding food in the cold regions of the arctic can be quite difficult. Musk oxen thrive in greenland. Iceland outfitters offers a 3 days hunt for musk ox near kangerlussuaq west greenland.
Muskoxen occur in four of greenland s protected areas with indigenous populations in northeast greenland national park and three introduced populations in arnangarnup qoorua nature reserve and kangerlussuaq and maniitsoq caribou reserves. Some of the food that they find beneath the snow. Diet of the musk ox. The musky smell is used to attract the female during the mating.
Musk ox meat is a tasty meat with plenty of flavour. In our august hunts hunters stay in a tent camp near kangerlussuaq town. In 1989 greenland permitted the oxen to be hunted. The scientific name of the musk ox is ovibos moschatus.
The twisted horns and thick coats of these huge animals up to 900lbs evoke the ice age for good reason. The musk ox is a hoofed arctic mammal belonging to the family bovidae. There is rich wildlife in the area around kangerlussuaq where the musk ox is among the most popular animals to look for. There are 2 known subspecies of musk ox greenland musk ox ovibos moschatus wardi also known as the white faced musk ox which are found in greenland and the canadian high arctic and the barren ground musk ox ovibos moschatus moschatus which are found on the canadian mainland.