Canada/Somerset Island: Somerset Island – Musk Oxen

This animal was on my “must-see” list for a very long time. Musk Ox is a bizarre looking hoofed animal of the extreme north Arctic tundra, they only live in Canada and Greenland. While their size and weight are close to those of cows and bulls, these animals are more closely related to goats and sheep. They have long curved horns that they use to defend against wolves as well as fight each other during the rut. It was beyond incredible to run into a group of them so close, although they didn’t look particularly welcoming and did assume the defensive positions.