Yak

Bos grunniens

Yak, Bos grunniens, is the domestic high-altitude bovine of the Tibetan Plateau, Himalayas, and neighboring Central Asian uplands. Domestic yaks are generally treated as Bos grunniens, while the wild yak is often separated as Bos mutus. They are built for cold, thin air, with dense long hair, a bushy tail, strong lungs, and a grunting voice that distinguishes them from ordinary cattle. Coat color varies, though black or dark brown is common, and selected lines may emphasize milk, pack ability, meat, or fiber.

For pastoral communities, yaks supply milk for butter and cheese, meat, hides, hair, transport, and dung used as fuel where wood is scarce. Outside their traditional range, keepers need to plan around heat stress more than winter cold, offering shade, ventilation, reliable water, mineral support, and pasture or hay suited to ruminants. Handling facilities can be cattle-like but should respect their horns, strength, and seasonal behavior. Yaks also cross with cattle to produce dzo or zho-type hybrids, so breeding goals and parentage records matter when maintaining pure yak lines.