KidZone Animals
Musk Ox: Predators

Photograhped by Outward_bound;
used with permission under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Wolves and bears are their only wild predators. In a large enough herd, musk oxen defend themselves by forming a circle around their young. Both males and females face their heads outward, ready to stab at predators with their horns by tossing their heads. Smaller herds form a line or semi-circle with all adults facing the threat.

Musk oxen have also faced a serious threat from humans due to overhunting, especially in Europe and Alaska. The overhunting was so severe that the musk oxen went extinct in these areas.