Tibet Foundation - Aid to Tibet - More about Yaks

by Kate Paterson & Debbie Kenyon-Roberts

For most of us in the West, the Yak conjures up an image which makes us smile and warms our hearts, but perhaps we underestimate the vital role that this animal has in the history and the life of Tibetans. Seventy percent of the Tibetan plateau is pastureland, and for many Tibetan's the nomad's way is - and has always been - the only way to live. However the success of this system would not have been possible without the Yak - the only large and economically useful animal capable of living in this harsh environment.

In fact, the Yak is an essential component of the Tibetan identity, and plays a major role in the social life and economical status of the region. Evolving on the plateau of Tibet, the Yak is adapted to the high altitude where the air is thin and the atmospheric pressure is lower. Yak's blood can reach oxygen saturation in very low pressure, which allows it to work without getting tired too quickly. It's power makes it a precious animal, and it not only provides food, but many other vital goods. The nomads call the Yak ' nor ', which means 'jewel' or 'wealth'.

Yak should really be pronounced ' ya ', as the final 'k' is swallowed. This term only applies to males, the female being called ' dri '. Other bovines are crossed with dri to produce dzo (male offspring) and dzomo (females). The dzo is a strong but docile animal which is used to hard work. The working life of a dzo is longer: fourteen years compared to ten for a domestic Yak. Dzo-mo are better milk producers than dri .

Origin

The common domesticated yak is a descendent of the wild yak. Large herds of these used to exist in Tibet, with an important population living in the Chang Thang , the desolate and hostile northern plains elevated to an altitude of more than 4000m. At its peak, the population of Yak in the Chang Thang numbered millions, but economical and social changes in the plateau have seriously altered their habitat and reduced their numbers.

Characteristics

The yak is strong and broad, with short, soft and knotty under-fur covered by a thick 'skirt' of curly hairs on its shoulders, stomach and legs. Wild yaks are uniformly black or brown in colour, but there is variation in colour between domesticated yaks, from black to different nuances of brown. Some are mottled, and it is even possible for completely white yaks to be born; these are dedicated to high Lamas. Yaks are given nose rings to help control them when the work. Generally their horns are slightly bent from the top toward the outside, but some are born without horns, making them even harder to control than usual.

All Yaks are strong, but wild yaks are stronger than their domesticated cousins. The letter can weigh up to 750kg, but a wild yak can weigh 1000kg, and measure up to 1.7m high! Favourite foods are the mosses and lichen abundant during the summer months, or the luxuriant grasses in spring. However the harsh climate soon makes the grass tough and unpleasant, and the tongue of a yak is covered in hard, spiky barbs to help with grazing in these conditions.

Personality

In general, and with the exception of its wild ancestors, the domesticated yak is considered to be friendly and docile. They can also be very stubborn. This is evident to those of us who have assisted in yak races - an essential part of festivities and without hesitation one of the most comical images of Tibetan life. An elegant scene, with Tibetans wearing beautiful traditional costumes, can be transformed into a turbulent riot, with plenty of laughter and unavoidable cheating as each member of the community pushes, drags and pulls the yak to the finish line. The Yak will remain stubborn all though the race, and at the same time will engage in a noisy, grumpy conversation with its rider.

Yak Products

The bones ( rupa ) are made into jewellery and utensils. The butter ( mar ) - which is wrapped in skin for better preservation - is used to prepare the famous Tibetan tea, but is also used for ritual sculptures and butter lamps.

Traditionally Yak butter was a delicacy for the aristocracy and upper classes, with sheep and goat's butter being used by the poor. Dri's milk ( o-ma ) - very rich because of its high fat content - is made into butter, yoghurt and cheese. The cheese ( chura ) is dried and cut into cubes or crushed into a powder called ' chur-shib '. Both forms are used in cooking, but the cubes are also nibbled on their own as a nourishing snack. The dung ( chuwa ) is traditionally the only fuel to be found on the Tibetan plateau, as trees do not grow and imported wood is valuable. It is put out to dry in the open, and when burned smells pleasantly of grass. The dung is also used for insulation and as a fertiliser in agricultural areas.

The fat of the Yak ( tsilu ) is also preserved in skin and used for cooking. With the hair ( tsipa ) nomads make bags, shoes, clothes and coracles. The horns ( racha ) are carved into decorations, knife handles and musical instruments.

The meat ( sha ) is considered to be better than ordinary beef; it is eaten dry of added to dishes. ' Ngama ', the tail, used to be exported to India where it was used to make fly whisks. In the past, long convoys of yaks could be seen transporting salt, wool and other products from the Himalaya to India and Nepal. We can still see them today, even if their trade routes are only inside Tibet.

Sponsor a Yak and save a tradition!

During winter 1995/6 terrible snowstorms devastated a large part of the region of the south of Amdo (Yushu in Qinghai Province) and north of Kham (Sershul and Dhartsedo region, Sichuan Province). For more than five months strong blizzards tore across the plateau, and temperatures fell as low as minus 45 Centigrade. The extreme weather killed the majority of the half-million strong herd. When the snow finally disappeared, the grass was of such poor quality that thousands more Yak died. More than 100,000 nomads founds themselves without food.

Thanks to the help of Aid to Tibet supporters, in 1997 we were able to provide 6,650 nomads with 2,164 dri as well as four tonnes of cereals and thousands of pounds worth of clothing. These were emergency measures to help the worst affected. Many more nomads have been displaced and are still unable to replenish their herds - either they do not have the money or even worse they fell heavily into debt meeting medical expenses due to illnesses related to the cold. Thirty thousand nomads still need our help!

Kate Paterson was co-ordinator of Aid to Tibet.