Defense

The defensive behavior of musk oxen-- where animals help to protect each other from predators -- is quite unusual in the animal kingdom. It is only observed in a limited number of species in which both the males and females are fairly large and have some sort of structure can that can be used as a weapon. For the  musk ox it is the curving, scimitar-like horns on both the males and the females that serves as a deadly defense against predators.

Both cows and bulls have horns with pointed curving tips. For the bulls, thick and well developed bosses serve to protect their skull during the head smashing that occurs during dominance fights and fall rut. The horn boss can be up to four inches thick and as much as a foot wide on adult males. 

Photo: Lansing Teal

Wolves and bears, both Grizzly and Polar, are the main predators of the musk ox. When a herd of musk ox is attacked in the wild, the adults will form a defensive circle by aligning themselves side by side with their impressive horns and heavily muscled necks facing out and their vulnerable behinds and the young calves protected inside of the ring.

Photo: Jo Keller, US Fish and Wildlife, Public Domain