What are Yaks?
20-08-2024
11:42 AM
1 min read

Overview:
Around 40 Chinese yaks recently ventured into the Indian territory in the Demchok area of eastern Ladakh and are in the control of the villagers there.
About Yaks:
- Yaks found throughout the Himalayan region of south-central Asia, the Tibetan plateau, and Mongolia are herd animals with a long, humped hair.
- Scientific Name: Wild yaks are sometimes referred to as a separate species (Bos mutus) to differentiate them from domestic yaks (Bos grunniens), although they are freely interbred with various kinds of cattle.
- Habitat:
- The wild yak in habits the alpine tundra at altitudes of 5000 to 7000 m, while the domestic yak can survive in much lower altitudes.
- The habitat can vary, consisting of three areas with different vegetation: Alpine meadow, alpine steppe, and desert steppe.
- The yak-rearing states of India are Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
- Features:
- Wild yaks stand about two meters tall at the shoulder. Domestic yaks are about half that height.
- Both types have long, shaggy hair to insulate them from the cold.
- Both sexes have curved horns, with males having more massive horns than females.
- Wild yaks can be either brown or black.Domesticatedonescan also be white.
- Yaks’ lung capacity is about three times that of cattle, and they have more and smaller red blood cells, improving the blood’s ability to transport oxygen.
- They are herbivorous.
- Uses:
- Domesticated yaks are kept primarily for their milk and meat.
- They are also used as beasts of burden, transporting goods across mountain passes for local farmers and traders as well as in support of climbing and trekking expeditions.
- They can negotiate steep mountain cliffs quite easily. They can climb up to 20,000 feet in altitude.
- Wild Yaks are classified as ‘Vulnerable’ under the IUCN Red List.

Q1: What is a Cliff?
A cliff is a mass of rock that rises very high and is almost vertical, or straight up-and-down. Cliffs are very common landscape features. They can form near the ocean (sea cliffs), high in mountains, or as the walls of canyons and valleys.
Source: Chinese yaks stray onto Indian side, held by villagers in eastern Ladakh