AMAZING ANIMALS

Visit Hinterland Who’s Who at hww.ca. to learn more

MUSKOX Ovibos moschatus

believed to have crossed the Bering Strait to Canada about 90,000 years ago lifts and drops its massive head to break the snow crust when it becomes too hard to paw through stocky and compact build, roughly human chest height, but adult bulls weigh 270 to 315 kg slow and deliberate in its movements, but can run and climb with great agility its wool, qiviut, is stronger and eight times warmer than sheep’s wool, but finer than cashmere, and is shed in midsummer; long, coarse hairy layer covers and protects the wool travels in large mixed herds in winter; breaks into smaller groups in mating season most of Canada’s 85,000 muskoxen are found on the Arctic islands, especially Banks and Victoria islands has been under Canadian government protection since 1917; with recovery since, some Inuit hunting is permitted IUCN status: least concern