The wild ancestor of the Tibetans' domestic yak, much larger and dark, now surviving in the remotest parts of the northern plateau.
- Group: Mammal
- Habitats: Alpine steppe, alpine meadow, cold desert
- Regions: Ü Tsang, Amdo
Habitat
Treeless uplands, cold desert and alpine meadow, mostly above 4,000 metres in the Changtang and the far north of Amdo.
Diet
Grasses, sedges and mosses, which it can graze even under thin snow.
Ecological role
The largest native grazer of the plateau and a symbol of its wildness; its genes are the reservoir of the domestic yak.
Threats
Hunting and cross-breeding with domestic yaks, and loss of range to fenced pastures and roads.
Conservation
Listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN. Most remaining herds live in large reserves of the northern Changtang and Achik Kol.