Sachs Harbour (July 26/04) - The death of hundreds of muskox on Banks Island was unfortunate, but a part of nature, says a spokesperson for Resources Wildlife and Economic Development.

Reports from residents first came to the department's attention last spring, when muskox carcasses were spotted in various locations on the land.

"Information on the spatial extent was determined during a spring Perry caribou population study," Ray Case, manager of technical support for the wildlife and fisheries division.

He said further investigation revealed about 400 muskox had died and carcasses were spread along the northern and western portions of the island.

Case said the cause of the mortality was an icing event last fall. Rain fell after a snowfall, building a solid ground cover of ice.

"This eliminated the muskoxen's access to vegetation," he said.

Without an adequate food supply, the large mammals starved.

Mayor of Sachs Harbour, Andy Carpenter, said residents were surprised by the number of carcasses.

"It was a bad winter for ice. They were trying to get through the ice for food, but couldn't," Carpenter said.

The phenomenon has occurred in the past on occasion, Case noted.

The nature of muskox is to forage in a general area and in the event of such icing, they often do not know where to go to find food, Case said.

And although tens of thousands of the woolly mammals roam in the vast wilderness of Banks Island, Case said until the population is reassessed there will be no changes in hunting regulations.

There is, however, no imminent threat to the population, he said, although they are "certainly not fat this year."

Case said the carcasses will be left on the land, giving "wolves and foxes a bit more meat this year."