Wild yaks, the largest mammals inhabiting the highest altitudes on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, have adapted to extreme environments, showcasing resilience to high altitudes, cold weather, and scarcity of food. Chinese Academy of Forestry's research indicates a noticeable increase in the wild yak population in China over the decades.

Zhang Yuguang, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Forestry, said that wild yaks are first-class state protective species in China and a unique species in the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau region. Their distribution spans regions such as Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Xizang Autonomous Region, Qinghai and Gansu provinces, with significant concentrations in the Sanjiangyuan National Park, Qiangtang National Nature Reserve, Altun Mountain National Nature Reserve, and the Qilian Mountains.

Zhang explained that the population in the Altun Mountain National Nature Reserve, according to the data from the first national wildlife survey, between 1995 and 2003, was around 8,000, and the latest results indicate approximately 12,000. Similar situations have been observed in the Qiangtang National Nature Reserve, which the population of wild yaks was initially around 8,000 and is now expected to be above 12,000. Over the past two decades, the overall trend shows a significant growth in the wild yak population in China.

Living on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, domestic yaks are the most representative livestock in high-altitude regions. Generally believed to be domesticated from wild yaks, domestic yaks, possessing robust physical characteristics, serve as versatile livestock with functions such as transportation and cultivation. Though domestic yaks and wild yaks share the same lineage, they exhibit notable differences in height, weight, and genetic maps, leading to their classification as distinct species within the same family and genus.

(Cover image via CFP)