Cover photo: Wild yak © George B Schaller
Wild yak
Bos mutus
IUCN status: Vulnerable
Threats: Habitat loss, hunting, interbreeding with domestic yak and cattle
Size: body mass: 500-1,200 kg; height at shoulder: 1.6-2.0 m; head and body length: 2.4-3.8 m
Wild yak can be found at altitudes of between 4,000 and 6,100 m in China, India and possibly Nepal. They were once found in Bhutan, but are now extinct here. Their thick, woolly undercoat and shaggy hair help to insulate them against the cold, while their large heart, lungs and high concentrations of red blood cells allow them to survive at such high altitudes.
Wild yak mostly live in herds that can cotain over 100 animals. Some males will travel with females and young, howeve older males are more likely to be solitary. Females with young tend to prefer higher, steeper slopes than those on which bachelor groups of males can be found.
Along with poaching, a major threat to wild yaks is interbreeding with domestic yaks. There are up to 13 million domestic yak, while there are fewer than 15,000 wild yak remaining.
Further information
IUCN Red List account
Threats: Habitat loss, hunting, interbreeding with domestic yak and cattle
Size: body mass: 500-1,200 kg; height at shoulder: 1.6-2.0 m; head and body length: 2.4-3.8 m
Wild yak can be found at altitudes of between 4,000 and 6,100 m in China, India and possibly Nepal. They were once found in Bhutan, but are now extinct here. Their thick, woolly undercoat and shaggy hair help to insulate them against the cold, while their large heart, lungs and high concentrations of red blood cells allow them to survive at such high altitudes.
Wild yak mostly live in herds that can cotain over 100 animals. Some males will travel with females and young, howeve older males are more likely to be solitary. Females with young tend to prefer higher, steeper slopes than those on which bachelor groups of males can be found.
Along with poaching, a major threat to wild yaks is interbreeding with domestic yaks. There are up to 13 million domestic yak, while there are fewer than 15,000 wild yak remaining.
Further information
IUCN Red List account