EETURN OF THE MUSK OXEN — JACKSON 385 



uring procedure. Musk oxen may be seen in a few of the larger 

 American zoological parks, where, once they become acclimated, they 

 may thrive moderately well. The first captive musk ox in America 

 was exhibited in the New York Zoological Park, where it arrived 

 from arctic America on March 12, 1902. In this same zoological 

 garden the first baby musk ox ever born in captivity arrived Septem- 

 ber 7, 1925. Others have been kept captive in northern European 

 countries, and the governments of Norway and Iceland have experi- 

 mented in rearing them, but without success. The Dominion of Can- 

 ada, through protection of the musk ox in its native environment, has 

 increased its population on the Thelon Game Sanctuary, northeast of 

 Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territory, since the establishment of 

 this range in 1927. The only comprehensive study on the musk ox 

 in captivity is that made by the United States Fish and Wildlife 

 Service in Alaska. 



In April 1927, the Legislature of the Territory of Alaska sent a 

 memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives 

 urging favorable action in appropriating funds to reestablish musk 

 oxen in the range formerly occupied by them in Alaska. During 

 May 1930, under the active leadership of Senator Peter Norbeck of 

 South Dakota and Representative C. C. Dickinson of Iowa, an appro- 

 priation of $40,000 was granted for the project. Administration of 

 it was assigned to the Bureau of Biological Survey, United States De- 

 partment of Agriculture, now the Fish and Wildlife Service, United 

 States Department of the Interior. It was impossible at that time to 

 obtain live specimens of any of the races of musk oxen that lived in 

 North America. It was necessary to buy stock of the Ward's musk 

 ox, which inhabits northeast Greenland. An order was placed with 

 Johs. Lund, Aalesund, Norway, and late in August 1930 word was 

 received that 34 animals, including 19 females and 15 males, had been 

 captured. All were under 2 years of age and about half of them were 

 calves of the year. 



CAPTURING MUSK OXEN IN GREENLAND TO SEND TO ALASKA 



The leader of the Norwegian expedition that captured these musk 

 oxen in Greenland, reported on his observations and procedure, as 

 follows : 



The animals nearly always appear in flocks but are only seldom met. The 

 older ones range by themselves while the young ones keep together. They are 

 generally guided by a leader. There is much violence in a flock of musk oxen. 

 Once we saw a flock of 18 grazing in a plain. Two of the animals wandered 

 away from each other to a distance of some 50 metres, then took a run and flew 

 against each other. The loser left the battlefield. The animals pasture like 

 cows. Sometimes they will set out at high speed for a distance of 100 to 1,000 

 metres when they stop short. When attacked they draw up into a flock with 



