The Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) has recently classified the Himalayan Yak as a ‘food animal,’ a decision anticipated to support the declining yak population by including it in conventional milk and meat industry. Food animals are essentially species that humans raise and use for food production or consumption.
The Himalayan Yak: An Overview
The Yak is a member of the Bovini tribe, sharing its lineage with bison, buffaloes, and cattle. It can withstand chilling temperatures as low as -40 degrees Celsius, and is adapted for living in high altitudes, identified by its distinctive long hair which drapes down their sides. The yak enjoys a revered status among the Himalayan people, with Tibetan legends crediting Tibetan Buddhism founder Guru Rinpoche for domesticating the first yaks. They serve as an essential lifeline for pastoral nomads in the lofty terrains of the Indian Himalayan region. However, the system of yak-rearing, called transhumance, is primitive and fraught with challenges.
Yak Habitat
The Yak is endemic to the Tibetan Plateau and the neighboring high-altitude areas. Typically inhabiting areas 14,000 feet above sea level, yaks can ascend to heights of 20,000 feet when foraging and rarely descend below 12,000 feet. In India, Yaks are reared in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir.
Yak Population in India
Regrettably, the yak population in India has been experiencing a steady drop. As per the 2019 census, the yak population stands at around 58,000 – marking a significant 25% decrease from 2012. This concerning trend can be attributed to the lack of profitability from yak-rearing, which discourages younger generations from engaging in it. As yak milk and meat are not a part of the mainstream dairy and meat industry, their sale is consequently limited to local consumers.
Significance of the Yak
Yaks play a pivotal role in fulfilling the nutritional and livelihood needs of the pastoral nomads owing to the absence of other agricultural activities in the upper reaches of the Himalayan region. Here, very few animals can survive other than the yak.
Threats to the Yak Population
The yak population faces serious threats due to climate change and inbreeding. The rising temperatures at high altitudes induce heat stress in yaks during warmer months, disrupting their physiological rhythms. Concurrently, as a result of closed borders due to wars and conflicts, outside yaks suffer from inbreeding due to the lack of new yak germplasm from the original yak area.
Protection Status of Wild Yak (Bos mutus)
The wild yak species, Bos mutus, is listed as ‘Vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red list, while the domestic form, Bos grunniens, is under CITES: Appendix I and falls under Schedule I of the Indian WildLife (Protection) Act of 1972.
Last Modified: February 18, 2024