Muskox Health Ecology Symposium 2016: Gathering to Share Knowledge on Umingmak in a Time of Rapid Change

Abstract

The Muskox, Ovibos moschatus, also known as Umingmak ‘the Bearded One,’ is a taxonomically unique, cold-adapted, ice-age survivor. Originally native to Canada and Greenland, it has established a circum-Arctic distribution via introduced populations. As a key resident herbivore in northern ecosystems, the muskox has importance that should not be underestimated. Muskoxen play an important role in the cultural identity of Arctic Indigenous peoples and provide a healthy source of country food. More recently, recognition of the economic potential of the species through tourism, sport hunting, and the traditional sale of handicrafts has generated renewed interest in muskoxen and their ecology. Recent documentation of diseases, including several zoonoses, regional mortality events, and population declines have highlighted knowledge gaps in both our understanding of the drivers of muskox population fluctuations and the potential sensitivity of this species to a rapidly changing climate (Kutz et al., 2013, 2015; Handeland et al., 2014; Ytrehus et al., 2015; Tomaselli et al., 2016c; Afema et al., 2017).