The Daily Alaska empire., 1930-10-29
MUSK OXEN IN
 CRATES0N WAY
 TO FAIRBANKS
Animals Are Expected to Be Nucleus of Fu-
 ture Herds

Thirty-four animals called oxen, of which 16 are COWS, occupy Hold 3, forward, below the decks of the steamship Yukon, which called at Juneau yesterday enroute from Se- attle to Seward. They are musk oxen from Greenland on their way to the Alaska College of Agricul- ture and School of Mines at Fair banks. Early in September, in Nor way, they were nailed in crates, each of which is just large enough to allow it's inmate to stand erect and turn around, and they have been so confined ever since They will be at their destination in an- other week, and then they will be given an opportunity for outdoor exercise. They are withstanding their long journey well. All are alert and have hearty capacities. Only one of the creatures experi- enced a mishap, and it is of trivial character-a broken horn.
 Herd of Young Animals
 The herd is composed of young animals, some being calves. Pur- chase of the oxen by the federal government was in response to a memorial by the Alaska Lekislature to Congress, which at it's last ses- sion added S40,000 to the appro- priation of the Biological Survey for their acquisition. They were bought in Greenland and sent to Norway. They were received there by L. J. Palmer, of the Alaska Col lege, who has since been in charge of them. On arrival in the United States, they were kept in quaran- tine for a while, and then entrained for Seattle.
 At Fairbanks the Biological Sur vey has prepared large corral where the possibilities of domesti- cation and breeding will be studied before the animals are turned loose The bureau hopes, through the musk oxen to make greater use ot the unoccupied areas of the h. terior
 Truly Arctic Animal Musk oxen have been called the "most truly Arctic of all the large mammals of North America" Musk oxen differ considerably in fooo requirements, from the reindeer which the United States govern ment, through the Bureau of Edu- cation introduced into Alaska near ly 40 years ago. In summer they feed on grass and succulent herb age; in winter they browse on dried grasses and dwarf willows. They like to feed on open, wind-swept ridges where the wind blows away the snow, but are able to paw away snow and reach deeply-buried food Surprisingly, they seem to keep fat ter and in better condition during winter than in summer.
 At the time of the first explora- tion of the Arctic these animals inhabited the vast territory north of the great transcontinental for est, according to Paul G. Redington chief of the Biological Survey. Ma lives of Alaska say their grand fathers killed musk oxen in ths region south of Point Barrow. but there is no record that Europeans ever have seen the animals in Alas ka.
 Canada and Greenland
 Long ago the musk oxen disap- peared from the north of Europe and Asia. They still live in part! of Northern Canada and in Green. land. For several years Canada ha! been making vigorous efforts tt preserve and encourage the animal and has established several reserva' tions where hunting the animal il prohibited.
 The animal resembles somewhat a small buffalo or bison. They have a distinct hump, though not so con spicuous as the buffalo's. Mature animals weigh 800 pounds or more They have an undercoat of thici wool, through which grow long black guard hairs. almost sweep ling the ground and giving the oxer a stocky appearance.
 The horned head is a distinc feature of the musk oxen. Tn, horns are excellent weapons of de lfense against wolves. the only for midable natural enemy. Attacked the animals form a circle horn outward, calves protected within This formation, though effectiv against wolves, probably has beer one of the causes of the almos complete extermination of the spe cies by men armed with rifles wh' were able to kill whole herds at { time-often the only musk oxei within a range of many miles.