Habitat

The yak is most commonly found at high altitudes, often well over 6,400 ft. Many of the inhabitants of the Himalayas keep domesticated yaks as a source of food, milk, wool, and many of the yak's other byproducts. The wild yak has been known to live in western China, Northern India, The Tibetan Plateau, Nepal, and Mongolia. Yaks will often migrate to areas of lower elevation during the colder months to take advantage the increased food sources in valleys and plateaus.
However, yaks greatly prefer the high altitudes and actually live healthier there. Because of this, yaks will return to the increased elevations as soon as the weather warms after the winter months. It is also becoming increasingly more popular to raise domesticated yaks as an alternative or in addition to cattle in areas very far from their origin habitat, such as the United States. Check out this site promoting and selling yaks.

To go back to realize how far away from their common relatives yaks live, go back to the Classification page.
To see how yaks are able to live at these great elevations, go to the Adaptation page. Back to the Home page!