Immobilization and tagging of muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) in Jameson Land, northeastern Greenland.

In July 1982 and 1983, 491 muskoxen were handled in a tagging project in Jameson Land, northeastern Greenland. Groups of muskoxen as well as single individuals were rounded up effectively by Greenland huskies and kept in an accessible position suitable for injection of immobilizing drugs. Standard doses of drugs were developed for each age class. For adults the dose used was 2 mg etorphine, 30 mg xylazine and 200 IU hyaluronidase. For yearlings the xylazine was reduced to 20 mg while the etorphine and hyaluronidase remained at 2 and 200, respectively. For calves the doses were 0.5 mg etorphine with 200 IU hyaluronidase. The narcotic antagonist used was deprenorphine (used with hyaluronidase) administered via the intramuscular route so that all animals in any group would recover more or less simultaneously.