Musk Oxen Create a Circle of Safety
In Musk Oxen Create a Circle of Safety, narrator Gordon Buchanan describes how white wolves separate a young musk ox calf from the herd, but it manages to stay on its feet long enough for the adults to come to its rescue. By forming a tight ring around the calf, the adult oxen scare off the wolves with their size and horns. This video is excerpted from BBC's Animal Babies, a heartwarming show that follows the first breaths, first steps, and first feeds of some adorable baby animals, revealing the challenges they face to survive in some of the toughest but most beautiful places on the planet.
Lesson Express
Q: What is the hunting strategy of the white wolves?
A: They hunt together. They push the herd to move, so they can pick out the old, weak, and young. They work together to separate a young ox from the herd and then attack.
Q: How do the oxen protect themselves from the wolves?
A: The adults have size and horns. They protect the calves by sticking together as a herd with the calves inside their circle.
Q: What happens when a calf is separated and attacked?
A: It fights to stay on its feet long enough for the herd to come to its rescue.
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In Norway’s Musk Oxen learn how the male musk ox protects his herd and fathers all the calves. Each mating season, other male musk oxen approach to take over his position. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, a series featuring remarkable animal behavior from all seven continents.
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