Musk Ox Farm in Palmer, Alaska: Not Your Usual Tourist Stop

What’s A Musk Ox? At first glance, you will probably think that a Musk Ox is in the buffalo family, however they are actually the relative of goats and sheep. Similar to cattle, it has four stomachs, and grazes on grass and leaves. The Musk Ox (Ovibos moschatus), is an ancient animal from the arctic, and as well as living in Alaska, they can also be found in Greenland, Canada and Siberia. A male adult is almost 6 feet tall, and can weight 1000 pounds. The Musk Ox has been around for 600,000 years, but were nearly extinct in Alaska by the end of the 18th century, sadly 10,000 animals were hunted and killed every year. By the 1860’s this ancient animal had disappeared from Alaska, but in the 1930’s herds from Greenland were reintroduced to the state. This animal was on the verge of extinction now has populations of 150,000 across the globe.

Musk Ox, (males and females alike), have curved horns in order to protect themselves from their biggest predator, the wolf. When we took a tour of the Musk Ox Farm, we learned that this unique animal has a very different way of protecting their young. When wolves attack, the adults in the herd form a circle around the babies, their horns facing outward toward their enemy, the babies safe within the circle they have formed.

The Musk Ox Farm

We have taken guests on this tour a few times. The last time was in December a few years ago, and we had to call and arrange for a special tour, since they are not open for regular tours from October to April. It was well worth the effort. The summer rates are reasonable, $7 for seniors, $8 for adults, $5 for children, and kids under the age of 5 are free.

The Musk Ox Farm is near Palmer, which is about a hours drive north of Anchorage, and has been operating since 1954. The tour consists of two parts, you go outside and see the animals up close, then inside you can browse through their museum like setting and learn more about the Musk Ox. The tour is very educational, and would be great for a school field trip. They explain about the history of the animal, learn how they’ve become domesticated, and see the world famous wool called qiviut. On our visit, we saw both male and female Musk Ox, as well as young babies.

Qiviut (pronounced kiv-ee-ute), is eight times warmer than sheep’s wool. The Musk Ox has a harsh exterior layer of fur, and the qiviut is the downy under fur. On our tour the fur was floating around, and the animals looked pretty unsightly when they are shedding. The fur is shipped to a co-op and Alaskan knitters make scarves and hats, each having their own pattern that identifies their native village. The sale of these items helps to supplement their subsistance lifestyle, and today there are over 200 knitters. Each Musk Ox sheds five to seven pounds of this rare fur every year, and while that doesn’t sound like very much, it takes a lot of fur to equal even one pound!

I happened to pick up a small piece of this fur on our tour, it was floating all over, and it is unlike anything I have ever felt. It has a light tan color, and is softer than cashmere, yet lighter in weight. One scarf sells for over $200.00. Alaskan’s who are lucky enough to own garments knitted from qiviut really cherish them.

The Musk Ox Farm is a non-profit organization, and a visit to this place is well worth the time. While you can also view a Musk Ox at the Alaska Zoo, this farm will let you see them up close, and learn about these unique animals. It’s definitely not your usual tourist attraction, but one well worth seeking out!