Yaks are one of the most interesting creatures on the planet. During conversations I have with people, the time I have spent in Tibet often comes up and people ask me “What’s a yak?” A yak is an animal that's a little difficult to describe and I have found the best answer is to say, “They are high altitude woolly cows.”
Wild yak
Yaks belong to the bovine family and most of the world’s yak population live on the Tibetan plateau and are also found on the Mongolian steppes. Most yaks are domesticated but there are small populations of yaks in the wild. The numbers of yaks in the wild are dwindling and vulnerable because of hunting and domestication. Wild yaks can stand as tall as 2 meters (6 feet) and weigh as much as 1 ton.
Q. How do you say yak in Tibetan? A. Yak
Yak is a Tibetan word and only refers to the male. As one of the few Tibetan loan words in the English language, the meaning has changed. This means according to the Tibetan language, there can be no such thing as yak butter. For convenience, we will refer to yaks as including both the male and female.
Yaks are used as pack animals; nomadic Amdo and Kham Tibetans use yaks to transport their tents and other possessions when they move. Yaks are the backbone of Tibetan agricultural and nomadic societies and there is a special tie between Tibetan people, their land and their yaks. Yaks are often given a name and sometimes elaborately decorated.
Yaks are a commodity
A hard working, full-blooded, stud yak can be worth as much as US$2000. Yaks are the economic corner stone of Tibetan society. If winter is severe and several yaks die, this becomes a considerable hardship for a Tibetan family. This occurs often due to the intense winters of Tibet; yaks are an expensive commodity. The by-products that come from the yak have many uses, making the yak one of the most versatile animals on earth.
Yak fiber and yak wool
Yaks shed their undercoat naturally in the spring and the raw fiber is collected and spun into yarn. This is made into rope and cloth. When the finest quality of fiber is used, collected and spun, the yak wool is exceptionally soft and very warm. A better understanding of this process is described here. Because of the remarkable quality of the fine yak wool, a yak wool export market is now evolving in the West.
Yak meat and yak milk
Tibetan people are usually Tibetan Buddhist and killing animals is considered to be the worst sin. Regardless of this Tibetan people eat the tasty beef that comes from the yak. A good cut of yak meat (like tenderloin) is very tasty, but a bad cut is almost impossible to chew. The yak meat is also dried and made into jerky.
The milk that comes from the yak is churned into butter and made into cheese and yoghurt. The milk is sometimes drunk by itself but usually the yak butter is mixed with Chinese green tea and salt to make yak butter tea. Yak butter tea and roasted barley flour is the staple of the Tibetan diet. These two are sometimes mixed together to make a delicious butter tea and roasted barley ball of dough.
Yak dung is great for the fire
Yak dung is collected, particularly in Tibetan nomadic communities and dried in the sun. This is the primary fuel source for heat and cooking as many Tibetan areas lie above the tree line. Yak dung paddies are collected, dried, burned and recently with more and more Tibetan people settling in towns and opening business, these yak dung paddies are sold.
Yak crossbreeds - the yakalo
Many domesticated yaks that can be seen in Tibet are actually crossbreeds. The yak crossbreeds are better at adapting to warmer temperatures. Most yaks cannot live below 2 500 meters (8 200 feet), not simply because of the low altitude, but also because of the heat. The yak has been successfully crossbred with the American bison and named a yakalo (yak + buffalo).
Yaks are also used in Tibet for entertainment; at various festivals around Tibet, yaks are raced for a good laugh. With the increase of tourism in Tibet, yaks are put on display where tourists can sit on one and have a photo taken. This will often be a white yak, which is considered auspicious and is also a very powerful and striking beast.
Yaks and Tibetans are resourceful
Yaks are indeed a resourceful animal or is it simply that the Tibetan people have learned to be resourceful in a barren and arid land? Yes, the Tibetan people must learn to get whatever they can out of the few things they have. Tibetan people have indeed found many versatile uses for this wonderful creature, the yak.
Sources:
Emmanuel, R. Butter tea, accessed online at http://suite101.com/article/butter-tea-a329162 January 2011.
Emmanuel, R. Tibet outside Tibet, accessed online at http://suite101.com/article/travel-tibet-a328149 January 2011.
Emmanuel, R. Tibetan wildlife, accessed online at http://suite101.com/article/tibetan-wildlife-a329118 January 2011.
The rocking yak, From yak to yarn, accessed online at http://therockingyak.blogspot.com/ January 2011.
Rhys Emmanuel - Living and doing development work as a medical professional in Asia has given me unique insight into many areas of life and work and a ...
