The Taimyr Peninsula is the northernmost end of the great Eurasian continent. Once upon a time, herds of mammoths roamed here. Saber-toothed tigers and cave bears lived here. All these animals have disappeared from the face of the earth. But thanks to man, in the Taimyr tundra now you can meet a mighty representative of that time. Paleontological finds indicate that northern bulls, or musk oxen, died out in Taimyr about three thousand years ago. But they continued to live in the Americas. In 1975, 25 animals were brought to Taimyr from the USA and Canada. We went to this harsh country to meet with the descendants of the animals resettled here. Our path lies along the Taimyr River. We have to swim from its upper reaches to the Arctic Ocean 600 kilometers.
Today, when the population of musk oxen in Taimyr has grown stronger and has grown, the scientists decided to continue the experiment: to resettle the animals in other places in the Russian Arctic. The first such region was Yakutia. In the republic, great hopes are pinned on these animals. The wool of musk oxen is called qiviut. It is eight times warmer than sheep's. Qiviut is used to make very warm and light clothing.
24 окт 2021
