Yak

Yak

Latin name: Bos mutus

An Exceptional Winter Coat!

  • Insulated by a very dense woolly fur, it can withstand cold temperatures of up to -40°C . It is so efficient at heat conservation that the snow does not even melt under it when lying down. 
  • It has a rough tongue that comes in very handy when scraping  encrusted lichen from surfaces, which it eats at high altitudes when vegetation becomes rare. 
  • The female gives birth to one calf at a time, every two years. Young yaks are able to stand only a few minutes after birth; they are occasionally preyed upon by the Tibetan wolves.
  • The yak is a very precious animal to the Tibetan people; its wool is used to make blankets and clothes, its meat is tender and lean, its milk is of excellent quality and they use its excrements for fuel!
  • The wild species is protected, but has nevertheless undergone a decline in the past 30 years. For its part, the domestic population is composed of nearly 12 million individuals.
  • Distribution

    Tibet, Nepal

  • Habitat

    Desert plateaus

  • Diet

    Herbivore

  • Status

    Vulnerable

  • Zoo Zone

    Asia