Musk Ox Farm
 One of the most fascinating animals in Alaska is
indigenous to this State but was hunted to extinction in the nineteenth century. Efforts have been made by biologists to reintroduce the
species to Alaska with stock from other places around the world.
There are
now several healthy herds that can be found in the remote reaches of Western Alaska.
However, the original animals in these herds came from one of two
Musk Ox farms that still exist in Alaska. One of these farms lies just north of Palmer, Alaska.
 To
find the Musk Ox Farm, watch for signs announcing “Musk Ox Farm” along the
road as you climb the Glenn Highway out of Palmer.
A short dirt road will lead you directly into the farm.
The Musk Oxen are raised domestically for their
extremely valuable fur known as Qiviut. The
Qiviut is an extremely warm, soft and ultra strong fiber.
The farm collects the shedding Qiviut and delivers it to a native village
cooperative. The cooperative knits
it into scarves and hats with traditional designs of the particular tribes involved in the
cooperative. These very rare
articles are sold in few places, and since not many are made, they are
quite expensive. The farm has a
shop selling these rare garments.
 The
farm also features a fascinating museum and a tour of the animals.
Musk Oxen are so strange looking that we would not be surprised to see
them in a science fiction movie. They
closely resemble the Bantha in George Lucas’ “Star Wars”.
They are quite playful. Claimjumper
and I got to see one of the large males playing with a huge ball,
charging and butting it with his head across a pond.
The females are instinctively
protective of their young. While
Claimjumper attempted to photograph some of the newborns she was charged by one
of the mothers.
The
tour guide was incredibly  knowledgeable. And
the stories he told about the farm’s experiences with the animals were
hilarious. One such story had to do
with the time the farm decided to remove the horns completely from the Musk Oxen
to prevent them from harming each other when they fight.
The farm learned that the horns are more defensive than offensive.
The hornless animals still fought and began exhibiting signs of serious brain
damage!
The tours run through the summer, but they are
available during the winter by appointment. For contact information on the
Musk Ox Farm, click
here.
Last Visited: June 1999
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