Wild Yak
The wild yak, a member of the Bovidae family, is a large herbivorous mammal native to the high plateaus of the Himalayan Mountains in Tibet. With thick shaggy fur and strong legs, wild yaks are well-adapted to their cold, mountainous environment. Historically, wild yaks have been essential to Tibetan culture, as they were domesticated over 3,000 years ago and serve as pack animals, providing transportation and resources such as wool, milk, butter, and cheese. They live in herds, with social structures based on sex; females and their young form one group, while mature males often live separately until mating season.
Despite their domestication, wild yaks are currently classified as a vulnerable species, with an estimated population of only 10,000 to 15,000 remaining in the wild, and some subspecies facing even greater threats. Although they have few natural predators, young calves and older males are particularly vulnerable to harsh winters and human activities. Their lifespan averages around 25 years, and their unique feeding habits as ruminants allow them to thrive on the sparse vegetation available in their high-altitude habitats. The significance of yaks extends beyond ecological roles, highlighting their cultural importance to the communities that depend on them.
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Wild Yak
Wild yaks have been domesticated by the people of Tibet for centuries. Domestic yaks are the hardiest species of wild cattle and are used by Tibetan mountain people as pack animals and for transportation. The wool of the yak is spun to make clothes and their milk is drunk and used to make butter and cheese. The yak was domesticated over 3,000 years ago by the ancient Tibetans. Because it makes so much noise, the yak was once called the "grunting ox." Although domesticated populations of yaks are abundant, wild yaks are a vulnerable species.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Genus: Bos
Species: Grunniens
Domestic yaks and wild yaks both live on the plateaus of the Himalayan Mountains in Tibet. Yaks have short, compact bodies with thick shaggy fur that keeps them warm in very cold climates. They have short, powerful legs that help them balance on the steep, icy mountainsides. The yaks' hooves are cleft, or split, to help them grip the icy, rocky ground. Male yaks are 6 1/2 feet (2 meters) tall at their shoulders and weigh between 600 and 2200 pounds (272 and 998 kilograms). Female yaks are much smaller than their male counterparts. Yaks have two horns curving sideways and upward on either side of the tuft of hair on the tops of their heads.
Yaks live in herds according to their sex. Females and their young typically live together, while young immature males join together in bachelor herds. Mature males live away from the rest of the herds.
Yaks are herbivores or plant-eaters. They like to eat lichen, herbs, and coarse grasses that grow on the high mountain areas where the Yaks roam. They are able to survive on such a limited diet because they are ruminant eaters. They chew their food once, swallow it, regurgitate (cough it back up), and then chew it again. This process is commonly called "chewing cud" and it allows an animal to get more of the nutrients and vitamins out of their food.
Mating begins for the female yak at one to three years of age, but the male yak has to wait until he can establish a harem, or group, of females that he will mate with each year. This is usually established by the time the male is five or six years old. When mating season begins, the bulls (mature males) come back to the herds. At this point they may have to fight rival bulls for access to the females of their choice. The triumphant bulls then mate with the cows (females) that are ready to breed. Female yaks give birth every other year. The gestation period (duration of pregnancy) lasts nine months. The calves are usually born in June when the most food is available. The yak was once known as the "grunting ox." The wild yak grunts only during mating season, while the domestic yak grunts all the time.
Wild yaks have been domesticated by the people of the Tibetan plain for centuries. Domestic yaks are the hardiest species of wild cattle and are used by Tibetan mountain people as pack animals and for transportation. The wool of the yak is spun to make clothes and their milk is drunk and used to make butter and cheese. The yak was domesticated over 3,000 years ago by the ancient Tibetans.
Though yaks have very few natural enemies, young calves and older males often die as a result of a harsh winter or at the hands of humans. Tibetan wolves are a natural predator.
The wild yak is classified as vulnerable and there are only about 10,000 to 15,000 left in the wild. Some subspecies contain less than 100. Domesticated yaks are plentiful throughout Tibet and have become more popular in the United States.
The life span of the yak is about 25 years.
Bibliography
Oliphant, Matthew. “ADW: Bos Grunniens: Information.” Animal Diversity Web, 2009, animaldiversity.org/accounts/Bos‗grunniens. Accessed 16 Mar. 2024.
Parks, Abby. “Yak Animal Facts - Bos Grunniens.” A-Z Animals, 10 Jan. 2023, a-z-animals.com/animals/yak. Accessed 16 Mar. 2024.