#ARCTIC. #SIBERIA. THIS IS TAIMYR. For nearly a decade, scientists from the Taimyr Nature Reserves directorate have been studying the musk ox population on the peninsula. The introduction of these animals to Russia occurred fifty years ago when musk oxen were brought from Canada in 1974, leading to the establishment of two populations in Russia: one in Taimyr and another on Wrangel island.
Over the past fifty years, the initial population of 50 musk oxen has increased two hundredfold, with new groups forming and thriving in regions such as Yakutia, Yamal, Chukotka, and the Magadan region. However, the largest herd of musk oxen has developed in Taimyr, according to Mikhail Bondar, the deputy director for science and environmental education at the Taimyr Nature Reserves organization.
Recent aerial surveys showed that the core population numbered 4892 in 2017 and 5069 in 2022. Comparable results regarding population estimates in key habitats were also obtained by colleagues from Siberian Federal University during an aerial survey in 2021. Thus, the total estimated number of musk oxen in the Taimyr population could have reached 7184 by 2022.
Bondar also expressed concerns about the low survival rates of young musk oxen and a possible higher mortality rate among adult females compared to males. He noted that the population’s productivity in 2017 and 2022 was lower than during its establishment period from 1991 to 1995. Given these challenges, he believes that genetic research on the Taimyr musk ox population is essential. Introducing fresh blood into the population by relocating a new group of musk oxen with different genetic backgrounds – possibly from Greenland – could be beneficial.
Despite these concerns, there are also positive trends observed during collaborative research between the Taimyr Reserves directorate and staff from Siberian Federal University (SFU).
In August 2024, while surveying the banks of the Pyasina river, scientists encountered a group of musk oxen that, according to Bondar, provided encouraging signs for the natural dispersal of these animals in Western Taimyr.
“We spotted an adult female, a one-year-old calf, and two calves approximately three months old grazing on the right bank of the river. The presence of two yearlings (calves born this year) from one female is a very promising indicator of productivity, as twins are extremely rare among musk oxen. All three calves were actively feeding, quite lively, and kept up with their mother”, he shared.
In 46 hours, the group covered 11 kilometers from the initial sighting, and an adult male joined them. The female seemed receptive to the attention of this potential mate, while another pair of males were grazing nearby.
“This mating group gives hope for an increase in the musk ox population in 2025 when the female may again produce a good offspring. Establishing this and similar family groups further west of the main musk ox habitat could create a new subpopulation and enhance the overall species count in Taimyr. The key is to avoid disturbing them”, Bondar cautioned.
In addition to this family group, in May 2024, an adult male musk ox was recorded in the far northwest of Taimyr, south of the village of Dikson, in the North bay area. This is considered the westernmost sighting of dispersing individuals of this species in the fifty-year history of its existence on the peninsula.
Information gathered over the past five years regarding encounters with family groups of musk oxen, solitary females, and males along the Pyasina, Dudypte, and Heta-Hatanga rivers indicates a positive trend in the population’s dispersal in the western and southern parts of the peninsula. However, the high hunting pressure on musk oxen in these areas raises concerns about their successful colonization of the Yenisey-Pyasina interfluve, the southern Taimyr lowlands, and the northern foothills of the Putorana plateau.
Professor Alexander Savchenko from the Siberian Federal University, the scientific leader of the musk ox study project, emphasizes the need for a government program focused on researching and preserving this species, noting the increasing hunting pressure on the population. He advocates for raising awareness about the importance of preserving musk oxen as a vital component of Arctic ecosystems.
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Text: Larisa Fedishina, Photo: Mikhail Bondar for the Taimyr Nature Reserves directorate
