Yak
The yak is a long-haired humped domestic
bovine found in
Tibet and throughout the
Himalayan region of south
central Asia, as well as in
Mongolia. In Tibetan, the word
yak refers only to the male of the species; a female is a
dri or
nak. In most languages which borrowed the word, including English, however,
yak is usually used for both sexes.
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. Wild yaks can be either brown or black.
Encyclopedia
The
yak is a long-haired humped domestic
bovine found in
Tibet and throughout the
Himalayan region of south
central Asia, as well as in
Mongolia. In Tibetan, the word
yak refers only to the male of the species; a female is a
dri or
nak. In most languages which borrowed the word, including English, however,
yak is usually used for both sexes.
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. Wild yaks can be either brown or black. Domesticated ones can also be white. Both males and females have horns. The word Yak is also used to describe an irritating or disagreeable individual.
Wild yaks
Wild yaks can weigh 1,000 kg . They usually form groups of between 10 and 30 animals. Their habitat is treeless uplands like
hills,
mountains and
plateaux between 3,200 m and roughly 5,400 m . They eat
grasses,
lichens and other plants. During the warmest season these hardy animals live in areas of permanent snow and move lower down at colder times. They are insulated by dense, close, matted under-hair as well as their shaggy outer hair.
Yaks secrete a special sticky substance in their sweat which helps keep their under-hair matted and acts as extra insulation. This secretion has been extracted by Nepali tribes and used in medicine.
Domesticated yaks
Domesticated yaks are kept primarily for their
milk, fiber, 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. Yak milk is often processed to a
cheese called
chhurpi in Tibetan and Nepali languages, and byaslag in Mongolia. Often the pack animals are actually crossbreeds of the yak and
Bos taurus . These are known in Tibetan as
dzo or
dzopkyo.
Yak fiber is soft and smooth, in several colors, including shades of gray, brown, black and white. The length of yak fiber is about 1.2 inches. It is combed or shed from the yak and then dehaired. The result is a splendid downy fiber that can be spun into
yarn for
knitting.
Unlike
cattle, yaks grunt rather than moo. Many wild yaks are killed for food by the
Tibetans; they are now an endangered species. Yaks can weigh over 1200 pounds and have a lifespan of 20-25 years.
More recently, sports involving domesticated yaks, such as yak skiing or yak polo, are being marketed as tourist attractions in Central Asian countries.
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