M Hussain, S Bhowmick, S Sultana Begum, D Medhi and M Sarkar

The yaks (Bos grunniens), belonging to the Bovidae family, are long-haired bovines, well adapted to high altitudes ranging from approximately 3,000 to 5,400 m in the Himalayan region of China, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Siberia, Bhutan, Tibet, India and Nepal. In India, they are mostly found in the hilly terrains of Arunachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Sikkim, and Himachal Pradesh. They are crucial to the local population economy and the ecosystem’s ecological niche. Yaks are endothermic, semi-domesticated and herbivorous animals. Besides meat, they are also used for hides, milk, hair, cheese, fuel, fur, and draught purposes. According to the 2019 census, there are over 58,000 yaks in India, a report of almost 25% decline from the previous census, i.e. 2012…read more on NOPR