Cultures and Religions of the Himalayan RegionSummer 2004 |
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Lucinda Kanczuzewski |
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Wild Yak At 2200 pounds, the wild yak is arguably the largest endangered species in the Himalaya, but it receives little attention because it has been domesticated, and few people distinguish between it and the domestic yak. The wild yak lives at altitudes of 10,500 to 18,000 feet on the Tibetan plateau. During August and September, when the weather is the warmest, it lives at the highest elevations of its range, and it spends the rest of the year at the lower elevations. Male yak weigh 2200 pounds; the female yak weighs between 700 and 800 pounds. This animal is arguably the largest and most dangerous in the world, according to Professor Charles Ramble of Oxford University, who has encountered this animal in the wild. Data is sketchy for wild yak, but it is probably safe to assume that wild yak conceive their first young between their third and fourth year of life, as do domesticated yak. They do not reach their full size until they are 6 to 8 years of age. Gestation takes 9 months, and single calves are born every other year, unless the food supply is low, in which case calves may appear once every three years. Wild yak feed in the morning and evening. Vegetation is sparse at the altitudes where the wild yak graze, so these animals wander far and wide to find enough food to eat. The wild yak is very sensitive to heat, which is why it searches for food at such high altitudes. It can survive at temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Poaching is the main threat facing wild yak. Hunting also is a significant threat, as is disease transmission from the millions of domestic yak competing for food in the grazing areas of the wild yak. Protection from poaching is
allowing the wild yak population to increase. It is politically expedient
to protect this species, so governments in the Himalaya are working together
to preserve the wild yak. LINKS |
This site was created by Lucinda Kanczuzewski at the NEH Summer Institute "Cultures and Religions of the Himalayan Region," held at the College of the Holy Cross, Summer 2004 |
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