The Himalayan Yak

Yak, known as bovine of the Himalayas, has played a crucial role in the survival of the mountainous people of Nepal. The yak was domesticated 10,000 years ago. 

In total, there are approximately 14.2 million yaks and less than 15,000 wild yaks. In Nepal, wild yaks were recently rediscovered in 2014, in the Limi Valley of Humla district. 

Yaks have religious significance in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, and in Hinduism, the ceremonial fly whisk is predominantly made from a yak’s tail.  

The Yak population has been integrated and utilized by humans and has remained an important component for humans to survive in the harsh Asiatic mountains.

Yak skin is used to make tents, yak wool is used to make clothing, yak bone is used to make jewelry, manure is used as fertilizer, and milk is used in butter tea and hard cheese. 

Yaks are also an incredibly reliable method of transferring goods in the Himalayas. 

The Yak blood-drinking festival which lasts a few days and may have its roots in the ancient Tibetan Kingdom is an old tradition, it is believed that Yaks graze on various Himalayan herbs and by drinking their blood one can cure various diseases. 

There are modern festivals that humanely celebrate yaks. In 2017, the Yak eco-tourism festival organized in Pranbung at an altitude of 3,560m near the border of Panchthar and Sikkim, to promote yak related businesses. 

In 2019, the Yak Herders Association together with various agencies, hosted the Yak festival in Ruby Valley at Pangsang (4,000m at the base of Ganesh Himal) to promote the area as a tourist destination. 

That area boasts the highest number of yak farmers. A decade ago there were 200 yaks which has already increased to 400 yaks in 35 sheds. 36 people are involved in yak farming there. Yak milk yields an annual income of Rs. 40,000 to Rs.60,000. 

In 2022, Phalelung Rural Municipality-4 conducted a yak festival exhibiting dairy products made of yak milk and even the Yak Gold Cup. 500 yaks were shown in a single spot. They also sold local rugs and clothes made of sheep wool, horse, and yak hide. 

Yak from Upper Dolpa, are brought to Jomson for slaughter and made into dried meat or yak jerky. Yak meat is low in calories and high in protein it can be cut into strips marinated and hickory smoked. Apples, Jerky and liquor are Mustang's main gifts.

The local foods include “ghinti”- intestine stuffed with blood and fat. “Tung” is made with buckwheat flour and blood inside the intestine. Traditionally jerky was created by keeping strips of meat over the hickory fire while at present many hotel and restaurant owners have installed solar dryers for the commercial production of jerky.   

Due to climate change, the breeding season of Yaks has shifted from July-August to November-December. People are no longer dependent on Yak for transportation and can buy food and clothes from commercial markets. 

In 2008, in Ilam and Taplejung there were 150 barns that housed 1,000 yaks. Today, there are 500 yaks in only 50 remaining barns. 

The average cost of a yak is around Rs.80,000, if a yak dies, the herder bears the loss.

The future of the Nepali Yak is in jeopardy.