Extinct Animals : Wild Yak

Throughout history, the domesticated yak of central Asia has provided Tibetan herders with wool, leather, meat, milk, and cheese. It is a beast of burden and its dung is used as fuel and fertilizer. There are many of them. The larger wild yak, however, decimated by hunting, is an endangered species. Once widely distributed in the high valleys and plateaus of Tibet and the adjoining mountain country, the wild yak now survives in scattered, isolated herds in the most remote, inhospitable areas. Although officially protected from hunting and commercial trade, its future may depend on suitable reserves with good pastures and efficient protection.