Muskox in Alaska

The muskox is an Arctic ungulate that survived the Ice Age and was wiped out in Alaska in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century. It was reintroduced, beginning with Nunivak Island in 1935, and its wool, qiviut, is prized for softness and warmth.[1]

Ice Age survivor

Muskoxen were far more widespread in the Pleistocene. Today’s North American muskoxen descend from ancestors that crossed the Bering Land Bridge between 200,000 and 90,000 years ago, and the muskox is one of few North American Pleistocene megafauna to survive to the present.[1]

Loss and return

The Alaskan population was wiped out mainly through excessive hunting, though a changing climate may have contributed. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service introduced muskoxen to Nunivak Island in 1935 to support subsistence living.[1]

Behaviour and qiviut

When threatened, adults face outward in a ring or semicircle around the calves. Qiviut is prized for its softness, length and insulation, and Alaska has several muskox farms that harvest it.[1]

FAQs

Were there always muskoxen in Alaska? They were native but were wiped out in the late 19th or early 20th century and later reintroduced.

What is qiviut? The soft, warm underwool of the muskox.

How do muskoxen defend calves? They form a ring or semicircle facing outward around the calves.

Sources

1. Wikipedia: Muskox

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed November 12, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue