'Mountain machine' under extinction threat

Itanagar, Apr 9: Yaks, popularly known as the 'ship of mountains' is facing threat of extinction in India, according to the National Yak Research Centre (NYRC) here.

''The population of this endangered species is above 70,000 compared to 13 million in China. There is a need of concerted effort to conserve this animal,'' NYRC Director Mohan Bhattacharya said.

The population of domestic Yak also called as 'mountain machine', also called as 'mountain machine', in the world is about 14.2 million of which more than 90 per cent is in China. Indian Yaks are generally found in Ladakh, Kargil sector of Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh and West Kameng and Tawang districts of Arunachal Pradesh, Dr Bhattacharya said.

The Buddhists believe the number of these animals is an indicator of wealth and status symbol, Dr Bhattacharya added.

In Arunachal Pradesh, the average herd of each household varies from 5 to more than 100 animals. Herding of small number of Yaks is not economically viable and the owners usually offer these to the Brokpas, Yak farmers, Dr Bhattacharaya informed.

''This is a unique species of high economic importance. It provides milk, meat, wool, transport fuel to the highlanders, who depend upon it as the source of livelihood,'' he said adding that it is reared under free-range system in the high hills where the air, water and pasture are free from any pollution.

It generates income for the Yak farmers as it produces milk and related products like ghee, butter and churpi, meat, wool and woolen products. The fat content in ordinary cattle milk is 3 to 4 per cent whereas in Yak it is 6 to 8 per cent, Dr Bhattacharya said.

He emphasised that if there is no concerted effort, the future of Yak rearing appears to be bleak.

The Brokpas are responsible for conserving this animal and its traditional knowledge acquired from previous generations. They also develop traditional packages and practices for Yak husbandry and product technology. Brokpas are the most neglected farmers and their trans-human nomadic lifestyle needs to be controlled apart from conducting vocational courses to train them on scientific Yak husbandry, Dr Bhattacharaya said.

Superior female and male Yaks have to be identified from the Yak population and used for producing bull calves extensively. Semen from selected superior Yak bulls is collected and cryopreserved at NYRC and the same is available for the farmers for genetic improvement of the Yaks to produce hybrids for better production performance.

NYRC, situated at Dirang in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh, was established in 1989 by the Centre to stop extinction of these animals, besides, undertaking research for the development of Yak husbandry in the country.

The Centre is currently concentrating on programmes such as physiology, nutrition, reproduction, genetics and breeding, disease control of the Yaks, he added.

UNI