Yak are long-haired bovid animals in the family Bovidae, found throughout the Himalaya Mountains region of southern Central Asia, the Tibetan plateau and as far as north Mongolia and Russia.
Interesting facts about yak:-
- Most of the yaks are domesticated although there is also a small wild yak population.
- The Scientific name for the wild yak is Bos mutus and the domesticated yak is Bos grunniens.
- 90% of all known yaks is found in Tibetan Plateau within the Himalayas.
- Yaks are a close relative of buffalo and bison.
- The average lifespan of a yak is about 20 years in the wild and slightly more when it is in captivity.
- yaks are herd animals. Herds can contain many hundred animals, although they're often much smaller.
- A lot of their time is spent grazing on mountain plains, eating grass, herbs, and wildflowers.
- Yaks live at the highest altitude of any mammal.
- The yak has more than one stomach which it uses to get all the nutrients from the plants it eats.
- Yaks have firm horns which they use to break the snow in order to get the plants that are buried underneath. They can also use their horns in defense.
- They have a dense layer of hair which is generally dark brown to black in color, which almost reaches to the ground.
- In winter a yak can survive temperatures as low as -40 degrees.
- At the time of Snowstorms, they will protect themselves from the cold by huddling up together with their calves in the warmer center.
- Yaks usually give birth in June month to a single calf every other year. The mother finds a safe and secluded spot to give birth.
- Once born, the calf is able to walk within ten minutes and they will rejoin the herd.
- Yaks are very friendly in nature toward human beings.
- Mother is extremely protective of their calf and will fight if they feel threatened.
- Unlike other cattle, Yaks are not known to produce the characteristic mooing sound.
- Wild yaks are threatened by habitat loss and over-hunting by humans.
- Yaks can climb up to 6,100 meters above sea level.
- Yaks are able to live at such high altitudes because they have a large lung capacity allowing them to inhale lots of oxygen.
- Among domesticated animals, yaks are the highest house animals living at 3,000–5,000 meters.
- They are also able to swim in the nearly frozen waters maintain their normal body temperature.
