2017 status muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) Cape Atholl, Thule region Greenland. Technical Report No. 104

Muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) once inhabited the Cape Atholl area 
(Kangaarsuk) between ca. 76o 14 ́N and ca. 76o 35 ́N in NW Greenland. In the 
1800s, however, the muskox population in this area extirpated. In 1986, seven 
juvenile muskoxen were translocated from the Kangerlussuaq/Søndre 
Strømfjord region and re-introduced to the Cape Atholl area. The first 
systematic survey (September 2015) dedicated to muskoxen and covering 
almost half of the Cape Atholl area, resulted in a minimum count of 276 
muskoxen. This report describes the second similar aerial minimum count 
(September 2017) and additionally a ground (road and sea) count of JulySeptember 2017. The latter covered a smaller portion (14%) of the area than 
the aerial count (34%). Despite recent range expansion, the 2017 study 
indicated that most of the muskox population continued to remain 
concentrated in valleys and lowlands in the southern half of the Cape Atholl 
area. The ground count was 109 muskoxen, which included 8.3% calves (age < 
1-year). The aerial minimum count was 212 muskoxen, which included 
roughly 10% calves. The aerial count was superior to the ground count in both 
area coverage and numbers of muskoxen observed. 
At ca. 76°N, the Cape Atholl area is high Arctic and elevations above 200 m 
are sparsely vegetated. Despite this, the muskoxen have thrived since their reintroduction to the area. This appears related to the presence of huge seabird 
breeding colonies of little auks (Alle alle), whose annual guano deposition 
causes vegetation hot spots. In 2017, given minimum count of 212 muskoxen, 
density was ca. 1/km2 for all areas with elevation <200 m and 4-5/km2 for 
vegetation hot spots, while the 2017 calf percentage was low. Observations in
2021 by staff at the Pituffik – Thule Air Base suggest population decline has
not occurred following 2017. To ascertain population trend, further aerial 
minimum counts are required and must include calf percentage value.