RETURN OF THE MUSK OXEN — JACKSON 389 



prise, and any attempt to do so should be regarded only as an ex- 

 pensive experiment almost certain to fail. The primary purpose 

 of the studies in Alaska, which were to learn how best to adapt the 

 introduced Greenland animals to Alaskan conditions with a view to 

 establishing the species there, bids fair to be successful. The 4 

 animals transferred to Nunivak Island Wildlife Refuge in 1935 had 

 done well; however, the herd at the Alaska Experiment State had 

 become such a problem that the 27 musk oxen remaining there were 

 transferred to Nunivak Island and all were released on the refuge on 

 July 17, 1936. These 31 animals were all that remained of the original 

 34 and their offspring. Nunivak Island was selected for this intro- 

 duction after careful consideration of all factors — there were no 

 predators there, few disease hazards, and a favorable environment. 

 The island is 70 miles long by 40 miles wide, and is in the Bering 

 Sea, some 25 miles from the Alaskan mainland, directly west of the 

 mouth of the Kuskokwim River. Here the musk ox herd has done 

 well. In the autumn of 1951 an accurate count by airplane showed 

 76 musk oxen on the island, 7 of which were calves. A stock of musk 

 oxen when left alone in the wild in Greenland tends to double its 

 number in about 11 years. The Nunivak herd has maintained this rate 

 of increase. 



I do not discredit the effort to raise musk oxen as experimental 

 research. I cannot, however, condone the high-pressure sales propa- 

 ganda that has developed about raising musk oxen commercially. 

 Says the advertising, "This will be the first new animal to be domesti- 

 cated since the Copper Age." This is pure bunk! Many animals, 

 both birds and mammals, have been domesticated since the Copper 

 Age — among mammals, the silver fox, mink, chinchilla, golden 

 hamster, Chinese hamster, and cotton rat. High-pressure advertis- 

 ing has developed false hopes about raising musk oxen. Already it 

 has influenced people to risk their money in raising the musk ox as a 

 commercial venture, an investment which is more "wildcat" than 

 "musk ox." My advice is "Do not gamble on musk ox farming." 



