Ovibos moschatus

Conservation status

Least concern

These distant relatives of goats were once widely distributed all around the Arctic. Today, musk oxen are only found naturally in Northern Canada and Greenland. They have been reintroduced to Alaska, Norway, Sweden, Siberia and islands in the Arctic Ocean. Their body and behaviour is well adapted to life in the Far North: a long, thick coat, horns to ward off wolves and bears, and close‑knit herds enable them to survive in a hostile environment. Females, males and juveniles live together throughout the year.