Nepal’s National Yak Day

Nepal has made history as the first yak range country – or country in which yaks are found – in the Hindu Kush Himalaya to declare a national day (on 20 April) dedicated to this magnificent species of long-haired domesticated cattle.

In 27 mountain districts across Nepal, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities – particularly Sherpa, Tamang, Thakali, Rai, and Limbu – have nurtured and protected yak herding traditions for generations.

Yaks are a lifeline for the people of the mountains. They provide meat, milk, fibre, manure for fertiliser and draught power for agricultural tasks such as ploughing, in some of the world’s most challenging terrains.

The Yak belongs to the Class Mammalia of the phylum Chordata under the genus ‘Bos’, Therefore, it is closely related to cattle and is commonly interbreed.

Wild yaks stand about two meters tall at the shoulder. Domestic yaks are about half that height. Both types have long shaggy hair to insulate them from the cold.