Muskox

You like survivors, and the Arctic's muskox certainly qualifies. This species has remained virtually unchanged since woolly mammoths roamed the Earth. And it looks the part, with its shaggy coat and curling horns: http://www.saskschools.ca/~gregory/arctic/Amuskox.html.

While they may have survived, they haven't exactly flourished in recent years. Muskox have this disastrous self-defense method: when confronted with predators, they form a circle, horns pointed out. Makes sense when you're fending off wolves, but it also made them sitting ducks for human hunters armed with rifles. They were decimated.

The good news is that governments have acted to protect the species, which now numbers in the high tens of thousands. Still, we can't be certain they're truly safe until every Canadian home has it least one muskox in the backyard. These highly intelligent animals are surprisingly adaptable to urban life, and can be trained to complete numerous domestic duties, such as washing dishes.