Greenland: Sydkap – Musk Oxen
It wasn’t even a half hour into the long hike that we came across musk oxen on Sydkap, a herd of nine of them, including several young ones. For a while they monitored us hiking in the distance and then launched into musk ox gallop, slowly moving uphill and over the ridge. Second musk ox encounter in Greenland, super rare animals and very amazing to observe. In the summer musk ox break into smaller groups of about 6-9, while in winter the herds become 20-30. Every group has its main bull, the patriarch, who protects the herd, but also gets first dibs at choice food. When moving, musk oxen can reach up to 60kph. Interestingly, musk oxen got extinct in North America in 1800’s, but 39 individuals were shipped from Greenland, and they repopulated the northern Canadian island.
