It’s February, and the tundra of Norway’s Dovrefjell National Park is firmly in winter’s grip. Musk oxen died out in Europe after the last Ice Age, but were re-introduced to Dovrefjell in the mid-1900s. Along with Sweden’s Rogen Nature Reserve, this is the only place in Europe where these impressive creatures live in the wild. “Musk oxen are wonderful animals, straight from another age,” says Michel. “To see one is to go back in time.”
The musk ox’s famously long, thick coat – which comprises a layer of guard hairs over a shorter, insulative undercoat, known as qiviut – is key to survival during the bitter winter months. The distinctly curved horns, borne by both males and females, are used as a defence against Arctic wolves, and also to establish dominance within the herd.
As the storm rages into the night, the sleeping oxen blend into the landscape, the swirling snow catching on their coats. “They are like living rocks,” says Michel. “Nothing scares them; they know how to wait for the bad weather to pass.” There are around 240 musk oxen in Dovrefjell. In winter, they gather in small, all-male or all-female herds of up to 15 animals.
This story is from the September - October 2020 edition of BBC Earth.
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This story is from the September - October 2020 edition of BBC Earth.
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