Yak

The yak (Bos grunniens), also known as the Tartary ox, grunting ox,^[1] or hairy cattle,^[2] is a species of long-haired domesticated cattle found throughout the Himalayan region of Gilgit-Baltistan (Kashmir), Nepal, Sikkim, the Tibetan Plateau, Tajikistan and as far north as Mongolia and Siberia. It is descended from the wild yak (Bos mutus).^[3]

For the progenitor species Bos mutus, see Wild yak. For other uses, see Yak (disambiguation).

Etymology[edit]

The English word yak originates from the Tibetan: གཡག་, Wylie: g.yag. In Tibetan and Balti it refers only to the male of the species, the female being called Tibetan: འབྲི་, Wylie: bri, Tibetan: འབྲི་, Wylie: dri or Tibetan: གནག, Wylie: g.nag in Tibetan and Tibetan: ཧཡག་མོ་, Wylie: hYag-mo in Balti. In English, as in most other languages that have borrowed the word, yak is usually used for both sexes, with bull or cow referring to each sex separately.

Customs[edit]

Blood-drinking festival[edit]

In Nepal, there is an annual festival held to drink the fresh blood of yak in the belief that it cures varieties of diseases such as gastritis, jaundice and body strain.^[31]^[32] The fresh blood is extracted from the neck of a yak without killing it. The cut is healed after the ceremony is over.^[33] The ritual is believed to be originated in Tibet and Mustang.^[34]

Yak sports[edit]

In parts of Tibet and Karakorum, yak racing is a form of entertainment at traditional festivals and is considered an important part of their culture. More recently, sports involving domesticated yaks, such as yak skiing or yak polo, are being marketed as tourist attractions in South Asian countries, including in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan.