Amazing Muskoxen: Decline and recovery, personalities, and what we’re learning
Tuesday, Feb 18, 2025
1:30pm - 3:00pm
Lecture by:
Jan Adamczewski
Nick Luymes
Muskoxen are the ultimate survivors, having pulled through the last ice age over 10,000 years ago when most other species didn’t, and again dodging a similar fate about 100 years ago when they were hunted almost to extinction for their hides. In fact, it has been suggested that muskoxen are one of the world’s great wildlife recovery stories.
This lecture will have 3 sections; the first part will briefly explore the historic depletion of muskoxen in northern Canada to very low numbers and their 100-year recovery. The second part will focus on the tame captive muskoxen and the work that I was engaged with for many years, to gain insight into the conservation and management of this amazing animal species. The third section of this presentation will examine some research highlights from past research, as well as the current work being done by new researchers. Dr. Nick Luymes will share about the new work being done with a muskox satellite collar data set from NWT, and what he is discovering about these amazing creatures.
About Jan Adamczewski
Nick Luymes
Jan Adamczewski
Jan Adamcweski obtained his BSc in Wildlife Biology from U Guelph in 1980, and a MSc from U Alberta in 1988, studying the ecology of caribou on Coats Island in northern Hudson Bay. He earned his PhD from U Saskatchewan in 1995 focusing his research on muskox nutrition and body condition, especially on wild muskoxen on Victoria Island, NU as well as the captive muskoxen near Saskatoon. Jan worked as a biologist for the province of Newfoundland for 2 years, for the Sahtu Renewable Resources Board in Norman Wells in NWT for one year, and for the Yukon government for 9 years as a regional biologist in Watson Lake, Yukon. He has been a biologist for the Government of NWT in Yellowknife since 2007. He has a true passion for wildlife conservation, most especially the muskoxen in Canada’s north.
Nick Luymes
Nick Luymes is a postdoctoral researcher at Wilfrid Laurier University studying habitat and resource use of northern ungulates, including muskox and caribou. He received his PhD from McMaster University where his thesis focussed on the conservation and management of amphibian habitat in Ontario. He enjoys using statistics and programming to solve research problems and visualize data and results. Nick lives in Hamilton, Ontario and in his spare time enjoys playing ultimate frisbee, hiking with his dog, and learning more about Ontario’s lovely flora and fauna.