From ancient times to the present day, the yak animal tries to avoid society and proximity to humans. If you look into the manuscripts of the Tibetan chroniclers, you can find out that these mighty bulls in luxurious fur coats, it turns out, were considered a great evil for the human race. It is unambiguously impossible to approve or deny this statement.
But, unfortunately, it is clear that the yak is an animal that, getting into the territory developed by man, quickly dies. The herds of these majestic beauties are getting smaller and smaller. In their natural form, they are found only in the regions of the Tibetan mountains.
A unique and amazing animal yak! A description of its appearance, photographs, as well as how it lives, what it eats and how this representative of the fauna reproduces, you will find in the following. It's always interesting to discover something new.
Appearance of yaks
It's impossible to deny how beautiful these long-haired mountain animals are. Yak, description andthe photo of which you can see in the article differs from other large artiodactyls in its lush long fur coat.
Among the bulls of the bovid family, this handsome man is considered the strongest. The yak is an animal whose appearance surprisingly combines the features of a bull and a bison, a ram and a goat. He “borrowed” the tail from the horse. This hero can reach 1000 kg in weight, but this applies only to males, females are much smaller, their average weight is 350-380 kg.
The body of these animals is long and powerful, the head has an impressive size, set low. The legs are short when viewed in relation to the body. And because of the long hair, the limbs are practically invisible. There is a hump on the back. Long (up to 1 meter) and thin horns are present in both males and females. They are set wide apart, with an upturn and a slight forward inclination.
Wool is something the yak can be proud of. The animal has a luxurious fur coat, which can really be envied. It is so long that it hangs almost to the ground. There is also a dense, thick undercoat that warms the body of the animal in the coldest winters. The hair is even all over the body, and on the legs it forms a "skirt" - it is so shaggy and long in these places.
The color of these herbivores is most often dark brown or black. The entire coat of the yak is plain, only on the muzzle there may be light or white spots.
Lifestyle
The grunting bull is an amazing animal! People managed to tame and domesticate it, but be that as it may, the yak is a mountain animal and in anycase will tend to native landscapes where he feels most comfortable.
Watching how a mighty shaggy bull at a great height walks along a narrow mountain path, one is amazed at how gracefully, without a shadow of fear, he balances over the abyss. This handsome man loves the mountain height very much - it is almost impossible to see him at the foot.
By the way, wild yaks, having met a person, attack him without hesitation. Fortunately, at an altitude of 6000 meters, where they like to spend most of their lives, such encounters are extremely rare. People cannot be high in the mountains due to lack of oxygen.
Domestic yaks, by the way, also prefer to be away from people, they are calmer next to their own kind.
Yaks are called grunting bulls due to the fact that at the first sign of threat, these animals make sounds resembling grunting. If the herd is in danger, the kids are surrounded by a dense ring of adult bulls and thus hold the defense.
Yak Animal Diet
In winter, yaks are able to get their own food, while other artiodactyls cannot pluck grass from frozen soil. Their favorite delicacy is undersized plants. Very mobile and thin lips of bulls allow them to eat normally even in the most frosty winters.
The menu of bulls consists of grass, lichens, moss, young shoots and leaves of plants. The female who feeds the calf needs enhanced nutrition, because if the baby does not have enough milk, he will not be able to develop normally and will grow up weak.
Throughoutthe first month of life, a small yak feeds only on mother's milk, then it begins to gradually switch to plant foods.
Reproduction
The mating season for yaks begins in early autumn. To achieve the location of their chosen one, the bulls arrange fierce fights among themselves. The strongest female shows her favor. Her pregnancy lasts 257 days, and the offspring appears every two years.
Offspring
A yak calf is born weighing about 12-13 kg. A year later, this baby increases body weight by about 10 times. You can compare a shaggy cub with a sheep, only on his head you can see bone growths, which will soon turn into horns.
The hotel usually takes place in the spring season. A newborn yak immediately stands firmly and confidently on its feet. And before the onset of cold weather, the animal manages to get stronger and mature. The calf literally spends the first year of life near the mother's skirt, the long wool of which protects the baby from the cold.
Diseases
Domestic yak farmers have to deal with the he alth problems of their pets. Most often, animals are exposed to diseases during herd movements in the warm season. Calves, like adults of this species, can get sick with anthrax and tuberculosis.
It is sad to realize that such amazing and beautiful creatures are on the verge of extinction. Yak is an animal that is listed in the Red Book. in the wildmeeting these beauties is becoming more and more problematic. Most people are familiar with domesticated breeds of named bulls.
It is worth considering how to restore the population of horned beauties in lush fur coats, and give them the opportunity to live in the wild without fear of extermination.
