Yak

Key notes

  • The yak is a domesticated bovine adapted to high-altitude environments.
  • Scientific name of the domestic yak: Bos grunniens.
  • Wild yak: Bos mutus.
  • It is found in the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau.

  • In India, yak populations occur mainly in:

    • Ladakh.
    • Jammu and Kashmir.
    • Himachal Pradesh.
    • Uttarakhand.
    • Sikkim.
    • Arunachal Pradesh.

  • Adaptations include:

    • Dense woolly coat.
    • Large lungs.
    • High haemoglobin concentration.
    • Efficient oxygen utilisation.

  • Uses:

    • Milk.
    • Meat.
    • Fibre.
    • Transport.
    • Dung as fuel.
  • Yak is important to Himalayan pastoral communities.
  • Climate change, disease, habitat pressure and declining grazing areas pose risks.