In the remote Dolpo region of western Nepal, the ancient practice of yak herding is facing an existential crisis. Traditional herders of domesticated yaks in these alpine rangelands are struggling against the convergence of climate change, rising operational costs, labor shortages, and the spread of lethal diseases, reports Mongabay’s Sonam Lama Hyolmo.
According to the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), warming temperatures are fundamentally altering Himalayan high-altitude ecosystems. The shifts are disrupting water cycles, affecting vegetation, and drying out wetlands, which then increases fire risks and reduces available grazing areas for domesticated yaks (Bos grunniens).
The region is also facing a socioeconomic shift. Massive outmigration of young people to cities or abroad has left a critical shortage of labor for the intensive work of herding. Furthermore, the post-COVID-19 closure of border crossings into China has barred herders from their traditional rangelands, forcing some to switch to goats and cattle, which increases the risk of overgrazing.
These challenges extend to the wild yak (Bos mutus). While the total number of wild yaks isn’t established, estimates suggest fewer than 10,000 individuals remain globally. As rangelands are degraded and shrink, the habitats of wild and domesticated yaks increasingly overlap. This proximity leads to crossbreeding, said Krishna Prasad Acharya, a veterinarian officer at the Department of Livestock Services in Nepal. He warned this threatens the genetic purity and adaptive traits of the wild population.
While some yak herders once sought to crossbreed their animals to produce stronger calves, the hybrids are often too aggressive to tame and difficult for domestic females to birth, according to Naresh Kusi from the University of Inland Norway, who has researched wild yaks in the Upper Humla region in far‑northwestern Nepal.
Wild yaks are also threatened by the overharvesting of yartsa gunbu (caterpillar fungus), a major food source for the species, but also coveted on the international market as “Himalayan Viagra.”
The decline of traditional yak herding not only impacts livelihoods but also erodes the traditional knowledge essential for managing rangeland ecosystems. Kusi told Mongabay that conservation efforts must integrate local communities to be effective.
Kusi proposed establishing habitat refuges where wildlife like wild yaks can roam freely while livestock herding is restricted. “This could be one key solution in sight for wild yak conservation, given multiple threats for both the species,” he told Mongabay.
Read the full story by Sonam Lama Hyolmo here.
Banner image of domestic yaks grazing near Vijer (Tra) village in Dolpo. Image courtesy of Youngdung Jhama Lama.
This story first appeared on Mongabay
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