Muskoxen are not the only charismatic creatures perfectly suited to the wind-blasted, tundra of the Alaskan Arctic. Meet Joel Berger, Wildlife Conservation Society senior scientist, Colorado State University professor— as well as expert on hoofed mammals. In addition to gathering photos to track how fast muskoxen are growing, Berger conducts a seemingly hazardous test: He dresses up as a grizzly bear, approaches the herd, and gauges their reactions. Berger uses this unusual technique to find out whether the presence of more male oxen makes the herd safer from bears.
As if traveling back in time, Science Friday travels to a remote part of northern Alaska to observe these incredible living relics of the Pleistocene era: Bear in Mind the Muskox.
Watch more videos in Alaska and more from SciFri, including What to Expect From an Expecting Seahorse, Jump In Jerboas, and The Goat Brigade.
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