Project Muskox 2030

In 1971, something unique for Swedish wildlife happened.

The muskox is an ancient animal often referred to as a relic from the ice ages. Perfectly adapted to survive and thrive in the most extreme cold environments on the planet. It was once a common element of the Scandinavian mountains but then completely disappeared from mainland Europe around the end of the last ice age. But the story of wild muskox in Scandinavia did not end there. Against the odds this ancient beast has made its way back to mainland Europe and this is the story of how a small group of 5 animals on their own managed to form the first wild population of muskox in Sweden for several thousands of years. But not without challenges.

Project Muskox 2030 was formed to study the small Swedish population of wild muskox that are descendents from the five individuals that over 50 years ago broke off from the Norwegian population. The project is a conservation network and initiativ from several professional organisations working together to study the role and range the animals have in the mountains around Härjedalen county. The project also involves identifying and map out individuals both through genetic analysis and photographic comparisons.