The Wonder of The Musk Ox

Musk oxen in a defensive circle

          There is on topic on musk oxen that I have purposely avoided since the start of my blog, but since this will be my last post and and next week I will have my ted talk, I find now to be the appropriate time to talk about the most fascinating and distinguishing characteristic of this wondrous arctic mammal, and that is the way by which they defend themselves. Since this defensive tactic is such a pivotal topihc when it comes to this creature I have made brief mention of it a time or two before, but it is only now that I can fully divulge in to the the full details of this amazing work of mother nature, for it is the characteristic of the musk oxen that teaches us humans so many important life lessons. 

"No other animal has the defense method of musk oxen. When danger 
threatens they do not run away. Instead, a herd of twenty to forty 
individuals backs into a rough circle facing outward with the calves in 
the center or under their mother's bellies. This ring of horned heads 
can defy such natural enemies as the arctic wolf and the grizzly bear. 
From time to time a bull dashes out to do battle, then returns to the 
circle. He is exceedingly nimble. A single sweep of his horns can 
cripple or kill a wolf, dog or Eskimo hunter armed with a spear."

        This quote taken from a wildlife website explains the way that these wise creatures defend themselves, as it remarks, the musk oxen do not run away -- in times of extreme threat and danger they stand their ground and face the incoming opposition. They are not fazed by the instinct of fear that most herd animals of their sort are controlled by, horses, buffalo, deer, even African herd animals like zebra and antelope instinctively flee in the presence of danger, however the musk oxen are willing to face the impeding danger. If they refused to do so they would not make it, for wool of a musk oxen insulates them to such an extant that they are often prone to overheating -- not to mention that the young musk oxen would not be able to out run the predators and would surely fall prey. 
          There are occasions where the musk oxen become afraid and break their defensive circle --rather than facing the threat they choose to turn and run. These cases always turn out tragically. The young musk oxen cannot keep up with the herd and they are singled out and taken down. Without the cooperation of the entire herd their numbers dwindle. The very young and the very old -- the weakest links  so to speak cannot defend themselves alone. Without the protection of the herd -- without the defensive circle these more vulnerable oxen fall victim. Here is a video that shows how breaking the defensive ranks can affect the herd, it does not end well for the musk oxen so you may not want to watch of you are faint of heart...even I look away when I see the tragic fate.

          Because these musk oxen neglected to hold their ground -- because they worried about saving themselves and forsook the defensive circle that is used to preserve even the weaker musk oxen they were overtaken by the enemy. We philosophize the nature teaches us to believe in such terms as "survival of the fittest" and "you are only as strong as your weakest link" but these are human terms. When the musk oxen demonstrate behavior of these terms the turn our is fatal, however when they stand their ground and cooperate they are able to overcome their foes.
          I beleive that nature does not teach us to "look out for number one." Instead, if we looked to the musk oxen, we would see that nature compels us to look out for the weakest link, come around that area of weakness and defend it. If we were to look out for one another and embrace each other in times of stress perhaps we could face our foes without dwindling in number. The musk oxen is a survivor -- Miraculously they overcame the Ice Age; a time when all other large animals perished from this earth. They have survived thousands of years with thousands of perils but they have always faced these perils head on.
           Perhaps the fact that the musk oxen is unable to run away because their bodies cannot stand the heat is precisely the reason for their survival. We as a species could better learn to survive too, if we learned to not flee from hardship but to face it, furthermore not only to face our troubles, but to do so in cooperation, looking out for others around us instead of leaving them to the wolves.
1. http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/natbltn/700-799/nb740.htm

Musk ox Myth and Legend

Cave Drawing of a Musk ox

"Although there is nothing in the appearance or in the life of the musk-ox to suggest romance, yet the Indians and the Eskimo surround it with much mystery. They say it is not like other animals, that it is cunning and plays tricks on them, that it is not safe to approach, that it understands what is said. The Indians among whom I travelled have a tradition that long years ago a woman wandered into the Barren Grounds, was lost, and finally turned into a musk-ox by the "enemy." Perhaps this accounts for the occasional habit these Indians have when pursuing musk-oxen of talking to them, instructing them as to the direction of their flight, etc. Several authors maintain that these Indians, when hunting, do not talk to other animals; but I have heard them jabbering while hunting caribou after the same manner they do when running after musk-oxen."

This exert was taken from American author, editor, and explorer Caspar Whitney's book, Musk oxen, Bison, Sheep and Goats. A special part of the century-old cultural heritage of the Inuit are their myths and legends, which had been passed exclusively by word of mouth, because the Inuit had no written language and consequently had no literary tradition.  The oral recital of passed-on knowledge gave Inuit families particularly a feeling of immediate togetherness. At the same time, narrating made a connection between past and present, because the essential statements had been passed from generation to generation and accepted as the truth, without reservations. Among the Inuit, there are even nowadays no authors in the strict sense, so finding any such myths or legends on musk oxen was a bit of a hopeless cause despite my determination. Although it was very difficult -- nearly impossible -- for me to find any written Indian or Inuit legends of musk oxen I was able to find strong evidence from several sources that this type of folklore did exist quite commonly throughout the history of mankind such as the expert from Caspar Whitney's book that was written in the 1900s. Another article I came across talked about a completly different Inuit legend about musk oxen and their interactions with the native peoples:

"People and muskoxen have a long tradition of coexistence. From prehistoric times to the present, this shaggy mammal has provided the Inuit with meat, warm sleeping robes, and horn used in the manufacture of weapons and implements. The muskox also gave spiritual gifts to the Inuit. The people of western Hudson Bay have an old story of how two muskoxen provided the hunters with a song. These muskoxen had taken off their skins and were standing rubbing the skins to soften them and singing praises of their country. They sang of how beautiful the land was and how in summer they could always see the sun. While they were singing they heard a pack of dogs. Quickly they put on their skins and went up a hill where they thought they could defend themselves. Soon after they reached the top, the hunters came and killed both animals and took the song for their own (2)."

I wish I had more complete versions of all the legends that the Inuits had of the musk oxen, but sadly these resources are just not found on the internet, they are traditions passed down through word of mouth generation to generation -- many may have even been lost through the years. However the important point that I am trying to illustrate is that musk oxen have been significant to the human race sense these two species first crossed paths.  The lessons that these wise and ancient arctic creatures have to teach us are not unknown to man kind, rather they are forgotten.

Here are some examples of Inuit artwork -- carvings of musk oxen. These small relics demonstrate the importance that these animals held to these people, "The image of the muskox is commonly used in Inuit art as a symbol of strength and survival (3)." 

Wooden Inuit carving

Soapstone Carving

1.http://books.google.com/books?pg=PA70&dq=musk%20oxen&ei=mZzaTPzHOsX7lweblf3GCQ&ct=result&id=2CBJAAAAMAAJ&output=text2.http://www.hww.ca/hww2.asp?id=95

2.http://www.hww.ca/hww2.asp?id=95

3.http://www.nunavutmuskox.ca/muskox_art_products.html
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inuit_culture

Hullo!

Just a reminder to my readers to comment! Give me some feedback and let me know if you like what you see. Any questions about our Ancient Oomingmak friends? I would love to give them a shot and find and answer for you!

I hope to hear from you!

Musk Oxen: The Lone Survivor?

“The muskox is truly an Ice-Age relic. It originated on the tundra of central Siberia and later entered North America over the Bering Land Bridge. Its bones have been found as far south as the states of

Kansas and Illinois (1).”

            This excerpt is taken from an article written about musk oxen, and truly one of the most remarkable facts about the musk oxen is that this creature is one of a very select group of land mammals to survive the latest Ice Age. While many of the other well known Ice Age creatures, such as the Woolly Mammoth, the Saber Tooth Tiger, and the Giant Land Sloth, were unable to survive the climate changes that took place at the time the Musk Ox was hardy enough to adapt to its changing atmosphere.  As one of the articles I read about the musk oxen’s survival said, “The living muskox was one of the relatively few large mammals in North America that did not go extinct approximately 11,500 years ago.” There are many possible reasons to why this ancient mammal was able to weather the weather while all of its contemporary Ice Age Buddies were frozen in time. To better understand this creature’s survival one must take a look at what it is that sets the musk ox apart from the rest.

            No one is exactly sure what it was that killed off many of the animals that existed during the Ice Age. Many scientists say it was the rapidly changing climate, while others blame a comet storm for killing off these ancient animals – however this theory has been proved false by many researchers because it has been discovered that the animals died of over a period of time, not all at once. It is important to note that there was more than one variety of musk oxen during the time of the Ice Age; the variety that still exist, the tundra musk ox, and a different variety that died along with several other Ice Age mammals, the woodland musk ox. Perhaps one of the reasons that the tundra musk ox was able to outlive its woodland kin is because of its amazing ability to adapt to its environment. While the woodland musk oxen dwelled, as their name suggests, in and around wooded areas it is likely that their diet was a more nutritious one made up of broad leafed trees and the like. On the other hand the tundra musk ox is able to survive off of lichen and dried grass, twigs, bark and even moss; Most of which other animals would not normally eat. The Tundra musk oxen are extremely adaptable which makes them more likely to survive while there are a lot of environmental pressures such as climate change and limited food supplies.

            Another thing that may have aided the musk oxen in surviving the Ice Age is their amazing defense against predators. I will go deeper into their innovative and impressive defensive skills which exemplify the genius of nature in a later post; however, to keep the reader from too much suspense I will briefly explain the natural wisdom these ancient creatures possess. When a herd of musk oxen is under attack (usually by a wolf or a grizzly bear as they are there main predators although this may have been different during the Ice Age) the herd will gather into a large defensive circle enclosing the young, infirm, or elderly oxen in the center, with their horns facing out. The musk oxen will then take turns charging at the perpetrator one or two oxen at a time until the foe is either dead or frightened away. More to come on this subject though, but one can easily see how this defensive system would enable an animal to survive in a chaotic environment because if they work together they are practically indestructible.

            Another attribute of the musk oxen that could have led to their miraculous survival is their innate ability to use as little energy as possible, “their behavior is geared to conserving energy (which is their main survival strategy). While they are agile and can gallop in a short burst of speed, their most common pace is a slow, measured walk (2).” Although musk oxen are able to move rather quickly they are unable to run for long paces because they easily overheat from their thick woolen coats, because of this they do not waste unnecessary energy and they are able to accomplish their daily feats with little output. Perhaps when resources are scares this ability to conserve energy would be of great use to the musk ox.

            Beyond merely the fascination that can be gleaned from such an amazing survival I believe there is a lot to be learned from this tale. The musk oxen were one of a very limited population of large mammals that survived such a devastating environmental change and their strategies are worthy of consideration. They were able to survive because they quickly adapted to change, they band together and defend the weak, and they do not waste energy. Although there is likely a plethora of other attributions, and perhaps some far more scientific, we can learn many important lessons from this gentle creatures survival. What is nature trying to teach us?  Many times as humans we are not very adaptable – we like to have things in a certain order, eat our food prepared a certain way, wear certain clothing, drive a certain car, live in a certain neighborhood, be friends with certain people – we are not very flexible. We like things done our way, and unlike the musk ox, if they are not this way we are unable to adapt with the changes and except them. If the musk oxen would have decided to adapt and eat tree bark when better food like leaves and grass were unavailable they would not exist today. Humans do not naturally ban together when trouble comes, often times we resort to turning against each other. We say “you are only as strong as your weakest link” and in attempt to see to it that we ourselves have what we want we lop off the weaker links – we do not come around them and protect them. The musk oxen conserve energy, they do not waste time or effort or exhaust themselves over a petty task, and this too is a skill that we can apply to our own lives.

            The musk oxen’s prevail of the Ice Age is fascinating. Much more research could be done to figure out all the implications of this magnificent feat – I merely picked out some of the things that may have aided in their survival that stood out most to me. Certainly this is a very debatable and open discussion – and one worthy of looking in to further.

1.http://www.nps.gov/cakr/naturescience/upload/MuskOxFactSheet.pdf
2.http://www.nps.gov/cakr/naturescience/upload/MuskOxFactSheet.pdf

Farming Musk Oxen

       

          As I mentioned in my last post regarding musk oxen, these large mammals were almost extinct in the 1900's as a result of being over hunted. In my research I have found that their numbers have been quite restored since - because of many bans on hunting them in several areas and also because of much effort on the part of musk oxen farming organizations which have worked to restore these ancient creatures. One such farm I have come across during my research is the Musk Oxen Farm in Palmer Alaska. When I came across this worthy organization I was instantly compelled to share it with my readers. The opening page of the farm's website demonstrates their purpose and passion for the arctic mammal;


"The non-profit Musk Ox Farm is dedicated to the domestication of the musk ox, an Ice Age mammal that once roamed the earth alongside saber tooth tigers and woolly mammoths. Known to native Alaskans as “Oomingmak”, which means “The Bearded One”, this once-endangered animal produces an annual harvest of qiviut, the finest wool in the world. We welcome visitors to the farm for a close up experience of these magnificent Paleolithic ruminants with guided tours, engaging exhibits, a gift shop featuring hand-knit qiviut items, and community events throughout the year."


          Besides the services mentioned on the front page the farm also provides a place for musk oxen lovers to support or even "adopt" a musk oxen. One can either join the "Friends of the Musk Oxen" foundation where they can donate any amount to the farm, or for a donation of $100.00 a subscriber can choose a musk oxen from the profiles on the website to be their personal beneficiary. These options provide a way for people to get involved even if they are unable to personally assist the cause by volunteering on the farm or owning musk oxen farm of their own. 
           So whats the point of farming Musk oxen you might ask? Well it seems that they are an extremely valuable resource. The musk oxen wool, since it is able to keep these animals so warm in below freezing temperatures, is apparently eight times warmer than sheep's wool. There is an organization called the Oomingmak  Knitters Coop that is dedicated solely to the knitting and sales of musk ox wool products. Their hides are also very valuable and are made into extremely useful and supple leather. As far as food goes, musk oxen meat is as good or better than cow meat is, "The meat has an appearance similar to prime beef, and a smooth texture similar to beef or buffalo. The taste of muskox surpasses that of other domestic livestock when prepared correctly." Musk oxen milk is also known to be very sweet and delicate with a similar but superior taste to that of domestic cow milk. For these reason it is very easy to see why they are such a precious commodity and why people would be interested in preserving and farming these arctic beasts.
           Although I searched and searched to find some information on owning musk oxen as pets it seems as if my quest was in vain. I found a lot of information on big farms like the one mentioned above that are dedicated to preserving this species but as far as keeping one as a family pet it seems as if this is something yet to be founded. I did, however, find a rather funny article written in a blog by a Canadian fellow where he discussed that the pet industry must be dying down because his book, "The Feeding and Caring of your Pet Musk Oxen" was failing to sell, although I take the whole thing as a bit of a farce.
          So sadly it does appear that, for now at least, the closest one can come to owning their own musk oxen is by adopting one for $100.00 on the Musk Oxen Farm's website, unless of course you were ambitious enough to venture to Alaska and catch one yourself, apparantly once they're in captivity they tame pretty quickly...road trip anyone?

http://www.muskoxfarm.org/
http://www.nunavutmuskox.ca/muskox_meat_products.html

Court Case Related to NJ vs. T.L.O.

The radical court case that took place in 1980 between New Jersey and Picastaway student T.L.O. has led to a tumult of similar cases involving student’s 4^th amendment rights and personal privacy. In recent news many of these cases have revolved around searching student’s property, such as cars and lockers. One such case that took place in 2009 when an Egg Harbor principal, Peter Brandt, searched the locker of eighteen year old student, Thomas Best. Brandt resorted to searching the property after Best allegedly was caught selling a green pill to a tenth grade student. Upon searching the student’s Chevy Cavalier he was said to have come across a bottle of pills and marijuana. Best, subsequently, faced charges including possession of Valium, marijuana and steroids.

As an ongoing struggle to protect students while respecting their privacy, this case was brought to the Supreme Court, where Best’s Lawyer, Stephen Funk, explained that the student’s property should have been searched by a police officer, not a school official, "There is a police presence at the Egg Harbor Township High School. There is a resource office who is there on a daily basis." The case, just as T.L.O.'s lies in the question, do school officials have the right to search a student because of reasonable cause, or must there be evidence enough for reasonable cause? As ruled in the 1980 case reasonable cause is enough reason to search a student’s person. “School administrators need reasonable suspicion -- a standard that gives them more leeway than police officers have -- when a student is believed to have committed a crime.” The reason given by the state Supreme Court in the case of T.L.O was that schools have a larger responsibility in protecting students from danger. However, further implications, such as property like lockers or cars, were never discussed in this case; thereby, leaving many blanks to be colored in on a later date.

In this case it was decided that school officials need to balance the necessity to protect the students while also providing them with an adequate level of privacy, “that means student car searches should require probable cause, a higher standard that requires more evidence than the current one, said Avidan Cover, a lawyer for the ACLU, which is participating in the case.” Regardless of this conclusion it was essentially decided that in the case of Best, probable cause was found by the discovery of the drug sale, not just reasonable cause, therefore there was reason enough to search the student’s property.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/09/nj_supreme_court_hears_argumen_2.html

Musk Oxen, a Brief Introduction....

          On a snowy afternoon last winter my cousin and I took a drive up to Trenton New Jersey to take a tour of “The Old Barracks Museum” to fulfill an assignment I had been given in one of my classes that semester. After we had seen our fill of the intriguing structure we figured that we might as well take a look around the Trenton Visitor Center in order to query whether there were any other points of interests we should pursue in the area since we had come so far in such bad weather. As we explored the visitor center several exhibits that sounded mildly interesting were advertised here and there, and since we had no particular place to be we decided to meander through and see what there was to see.

          Upstairs we discovered a fairly interesting exhibit which subject was centered around the climatic changes that have taken place in New Jersey in, oh about the last billion years or so. It had many displays and paintings demonstrating the landscape of New Jersey during the ice age – one of the most fascinating sights in the entire exhibit was an enormous and stalwart stuffed musk oxen that was placed in the center of the room. According to the exhibit musk oxen were likely prominent in New Jersey during this time and that musk oxen bones had been found which were used to prove this. Regardless of whether or not musk oxen had been prevalent in this state at one time or not, this exhibit had gotten me hooked on these adorable fuzzy creatures which I can very easily say now, are my favorite animal! Until this day I had never even heard of musk oxen, so when I went home I was compelled to Google search these adorable creatures and find out some more information about them. It turns out that they are very interesting and gentle animals, although I did not find a huge amount of information, it seems that people who have had the opportunity to see a real musk oxen have become as endeared by them as I have.

            Musk Oxen are large woolly arctic mammals, which surprisingly are more closely related to sheep or goats then they are bovine. They are pack animals and usually live in herds of 10-20 oxen, but herds can sometimes be as large as 70 or more. Both male and female musk oxen have large curved horns, and they have a very thick coat of fur which is capable of keeping them warm in extremely frigid weather. Muskoxen stand 3 feet 11 inches high at the shoulder on average, with females measuring 53 to 78 inches in length, and males 78 to 98 inches. Adults, on average, weigh around 630 pounds however they range anywhere from 397 to 882 pounds. The musk oxens large head and wide set shoulders often make them seem larger than they actually are.

Whether or not musk oxen truly did live in New Jersey thousands (or millions) of years ago or not, it is certain that they no longer live anywhere near this area, nor have they for quite some time. According to my research, in the early 1900's the musk oxen were over hunted and almost disappeared. Musk oxen were hunted for their meat and hides, which are apparently very valuable (more on this in a later post). In 1917 the Canadian government passed a law against killing the musk ox. Today, In Canada more than 85,000 musk oxen live on the mainland and Arctic islands of Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. Small herds live in northern Yukon. Musk oxen are also found in Alaska, Greenland, Norway and Russia.

            This is just the tip of the iceberg (hah!) when it comes to musk oxen. They are extremely interesting creatures and there is far more to be said on their relational dynamics, history, modern uses, temperaments, ect. I have found that many people do not even know what musk oxen are, and I’m not very surprised considering a little over a year ago I was no better enlightened – that is why I am writing this blog. I believe that there is much to be learned from this wise and ancient creature.