Greenland's wild wildlife: Experience the musk ox on a photo safari! (2025)

FAQs

Where are the musk ox in Greenland? ›

Muskoxen can be seen both south and north of the island. They thrive most in the Kangerlussuaq region. Introduced in the 1960s from 27 individuals from the north of the island, there are now around 10,000 Muskoxen in this area providing them with very good food resources.

Polar bears, humpback whales, musk oxen, walruses, reindeer and white-tailed eagles are just some of the many animals you can experience on land, at sea and in the air around Greenland. Do you have a special love of Arctic nature?

By 2019 the population on Wrangel Island was about 1100, and the Taymyr Peninsula, about 11,000–14,000. A few muskoxen herds migrated from the Taymyr Peninsula far to the south to the Putorana Plateau.

Musk oxen live in the frozen Arctic and roam the tundra in search of the roots, mosses, and lichens that sustain them. In winter, they use their hooves to dig through snow to graze on these plants. During the summer, they supplement their diet with Arctic flowers and grasses, often feeding near water.

Muskox in Alaska can be found in northcentral, northeastern, and northwestern Alaska, on Nunivak Island, Nelson Island, the Seward Peninsula, the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, and in domestic herds across the state.

Dating back to about 187,000 to 129,000 years ago, muskoxen are known as the shaggy survivors of the Ice Age. Today muskoxen are found in northern Canada, Greenland, and Alaska.

Polar Bears

The world's largest land predator is an iconic symbol, emblematic of the Arctic and features in Greenland's official coat of arms. Significant numbers live in the northernmost parts of West Greenland and in Northeast Greenland - the most remote and uninhabited regions.

The Greenlandic sled dog is known for its tremendous willpower. The dogs can pull heavy sleds over long distances, and they can live outside in the cold, arctic weather, which they also prefer.

Among the best places to see wildlife in Greenland is the northeast, in areas such as Scoresbysund and King Oscar Fjord, where you may encounter everything from polar bears to Arctic foxes and hares, whales, seals and musk ox.

Muskox is safe to eat. It is also one of the healthiest foods available. The benefits of consuming muskox are much greater than the risks of contaminant exposure. Unless a person is consuming muskox kidney regularly on a weekly basis, there is no concern for consuming muskox kidney.

Why are they called musk ox? ›

Musk oxen are stocky mammals with large heads, short necks, and short, stout legs. Their name derives from their musky odour and from their superficial resemblance to the ox, though they are not closely related to cattle.

Taxonomists now classify muskoxen with the sheep and goats. The closest living relative of the muskox is the takin, a large goat-like animal which is found in the Himalayas. Muskoxen as a species have changed little since the ice age and are perfectly adapted to live in their harsh arctic environment.

Muskoxen are surprisingly tolerant of people and it's possible to get quite close to one, but that doesn't mean it's a good idea. Always stay at least 150 feet from a muskox. As with any wild animal, don't approach a female with a calf. Even the normally docile muskox will fiercely protect their young.

Musk oxen are large, hoofed mammals. They have an extremely thick and shaggy coat. It is two-layered with the outermost layer consisting of guard hairs covering a shorter layer of “qiviut” hairs. Both cows and bulls have long horns, which continue to grow throughout their lifespan.

Musk oxen are large tundra-dwelling bovids that, when in rut, can strike heads at speeds around 30 mph. The wide base of their large horns armor their skull against such impacts, although it is unknown if they sustain brain trauma.

Price distribution

The most affordable muskox hunts are found in Russia, where if you go with a few friends, the hunt may cost about $3,000 per person. Hunting in Greenland is usually priced at a bit over $5,000. Muskox hunt can often be combined with a Caribou hunt for almost the same money.

The musk ox is the largest land-based mammal in Greenland and can weigh up to 400 kilos. It can live in temperatures down to minus 40 degrees C.

Since then it has been successfully reintroduced in Alaska, western Greenland, Norway and Russia (Taimyr Peninsula and Wrangel Island). However, attempts to introduce it to Svalbard and Iceland have failed. A small group of muskoxen from Dovrefjell (Norway) moved to Sweden.

Nunivak Island is located in the Bering Sea about 135 miles west of Bethel. This remote island is home to approximately 200 people and 500-550 muskoxen. Muskox hunting season is divided into two time periods: a fall hunt that runs from September 1 - 30 and a winter/spring hunt which occurs Feb 1 - March 15.