As a result of intensive hunting, the global distribution of the muskox Ovibos moschatus was restricted to certain areas in northern Canada and eastern Greenland at the beginning of the 20th century (Boertmann et al. 1992; Ferguson & Gauthier 1992; Lent 1998). In efforts to decrease the risk of extinction many reintroductions and introductions were made, and the species is now increasing globally. After an unsuccessful attempt prior to the Second World War, in the period 1947–53 muskoxen were taken from eastern Greenland and introduced into a mountain range in central Norway ( Myrberget 1987).