Leica x Lizzie Daly
The story begins...
In November, biologist and filmmaker Lizzie Daly visited Norway to tell the changing stories of the Arctic.
She ventured across plateaus in the south to document Musk Oxen and a story of a warming planet. While there she was accompanied by Floris Smeets (Photo Tours Norway) a local guide who helped her capture some incredible fighting behaviour of young males.
Exploration in the Arctic Wilderness
"November in the south of Norway, and I was on the search for relics of the Ice Age – the mighty Musk Ox. These animals live in an unforgiving world. In Norway they can be found in Dovrefjell National Park: a beautiful wilderness made up of tundra, plateaus, and mountains. It sits just above the treeline at around 1,000m. I'd heard that you have to work for your sightings here, and that excited me. In winter the Musk Ox push up to the higher plateaus, and with news that they were still near but showing signs of moving, I was keen to get into the field."
Learning from a Local Expert
"For the first few days, I decided to join local guide and photographer Floris Smeets, who has extensive knowledge of this landscape – and the Musk Ox. I planned to spend a few days with him before going solo up into the mountains. The aim was to get a grip on my positioning in relation to their behavior. Musk Oxen are colossal animals and have a bit of a reputation for being grumpy. The last thing you want to do is to disturb the species you are trying to observe, especially if they’re an ancient Arctic survivor weighing 200–400kg."
Tough Conditions and Close Encounters
"Musk Ox are docile giants, mostly – until pushed. They can get spooked, and if you get too close you will definitely know about it. On day one I was lucky to see their size and strength firsthand. We would spend hours just waiting and watching through my binoculars from a distance to gauge their behavior. Temperatures plummeted down to -30°C / -35°C. It was incredibly cold throughout my whole trip but we were lucky to have no wind at all which made filming a lot easier when trying to stabilize shots. Unfortunately, I did get some pretty bad frost nip on my toes…"
As a little special, the following video offers you a complete look behind the scenes.
Lizzie Daly
Lizzie Daly
Lizzie Daly
Lizzie Daly
Lizzie Daly
Lizzie Daly
Challenges for Musk Oxen During Winter
"We are seeing shifts in temperature around the world but most prevalent in the north. On average the polar region is warming at twice the global rate. A recent study published in Scientific Reports found that Muskoxen are particularly vulnerable with a changing climate threatening the availability of food for Muskoxen during the winter. Warming temperatures means more days of winter rain. It is believed that when the temperature returns back to sub zero following a winter rain, the freezing temperatures create a layer of ice which prevents Musk Oxen from accessing their critical food source."
