The original muskoxen at AWCC arrived from the Large Animal Research Station (LARS) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

The original Alaskan population of muskoxen died out due to overhunting sometime in the mid 1800’s. In the 1930’s it was decided that muskoxen should be returned to Alaska, and 34 muskoxen from Greenland were captured and ultimately shipped to Nunivak Island off the coast of western Alaska. These animals thrived on Nunivak, and in subsequent decades additional transplants were made in other portions of the state using animals from the Nunivak population. Today an estimated 4,000 muskoxen roam portions of their former range in Alaska, though the population in the eastern Brooks Range has declined sharply in recent years. Hunters harvest approximately 250 muskoxen annually, and the muskox is increasingly becoming more appreciated as a subsistence and game animal.

The original muskoxen at AWCC arrived from the Large Animal Research Station (LARS) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. LARS houses muskoxen, reindeer, and caribou for use in nutritional, reproductive, and physiological studies. Other animals have arrived from other wildlife facilities and ranches, and many have been born here at the Center. Guacamole was born at AWCC in 2018 to Susitna and Wrangell. Beans was also born at AWCC to Nami and Wrangell. Artemis was our second orphan rescue in 2019. Jasper, Opal, Willow, and Juniper were all orphans separated from their herd near Nome, AK due to snowstorms or bear attacks.

The underfur of the muskox is called qiviut (pronounced kiv-EE-oot) and is one of the warmest natural fibers on Earth, being eight times warmer than sheep’s wool and softer and finer than cashmere. Qiviut is gathered from the hides of muskoxen killed for subsistence purposes and is also combed from captive animals at several facilities in Alaska. This qiviut is given to Oomingmak, an Alaskan co-operative that turns the qiviut into yarn and distributes it to knitters in Alaska Native villages who create beautiful, warm, and unique garments. Both male and female muskoxen have horns. The horns of a bull are larger and heavier than a cow’s horns. Male muskoxen fight for dominance by charging other males at full speed. They then collide squarely on the horn bosses. The horn bosses are four inches thick. Underneath the horn boss is three more inches of skull which protects their heads and necks.

Due to their thick fur, the apparent size of muskoxen is deceiving. At birth, calves weigh 20 to 30 pounds (9-14 kgs). Adult cows weigh 300 to 400 pounds (140-180 kgs), while mature bulls weigh 600 to 800 pounds (270-360 kgs).

Muskoxen feed on a wide variety of tundra plants. Grasses, sedges, crowberry, avens, and the leaves and twigs of willow and dwarf birch are favorite food items.

The muskox rut lasts from late August to October. Bulls gather and defend harems from other bulls, sorting out who is dominant by charging one another from distances of 50 yards and clashing head-on. Four inches of horn and three inches of bone protect a bull muskox’s brain from serious damage. After a gestation period of approximately 270 days (about 9 months), a single calf is born in late April or May. Calves grow rapidly on the incredibly rich milk of their mothers and weigh 150 to 230 pounds (70-100 kgs) as yearlings. The bond between mother and calf weakens after two years.

In the summer of 2019, a muskox calf was rescued from an oil facility in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska.

The staff of several companies in the area assisted with the capture of the orphaned female muskox after she was separated from her herd during a bear attack. The AWCC worked with the Alaska Department of Fish & Game to relocate the calf to our facility. After the successful relocation, the AWCC took Artemis in, nursing her to health and working very closely with Large Animal Research Station (LARS) through the University of Alaska Fairbanks.