The possible exchange of illnesses between wild and domesticated yaks is also a dilemma. Also, breeding between domesticated and wild yaks is dangerous to their population's strengths. The differences between domesticated and wild yaks are easily apparent. Not only is their coloration different, the wild guys are also significantly bigger. Despite being granted Chinese protection in , the population of wild yaks continues to get smaller. Some yaks live in designated nature areas in China, including the Changtang and Arjin Shan reserves, for example.
These areas aren't total safe havens against habitat minimization and hunting troubles, though. In , the planet's total wild yak count was guessed to be around 15, individuals. Wild yaks prefer grasslands for their habitat and they are usually found in areas where there are lots of lichens, grasses, and tubers. When food becomes scarce, some herds migrate long distances to find these plants. They seem to enjoy colder temperatures and do not favor warm weather. Much of the time is spent grazing on grass-like plants and shrubs, forbs, and cushion plants.
Herds as large as females and their young have been observed. Males prefer to be along or will band together in small solitary groups of two to five. When they are ready to mate, they separate to join female herds.
They may even compete violently with other males to gain dominance over a herd. Females give birth to one calf in June after a gestation period of nine months. The latest population estimate for this creature if 15, The main cause of decline is hunting by humans.
Also, habitat disturbance, hybridization, and competition with domestic yaks pose a threat to the species. The remaining wild yak population is legally protected, but according to the Tibet Forest Bureau, this is difficult to enforce in some mountainous regions.
Yaks own a well-marked social behaviour and graze near together. The herd contains only of female and young animals until the bulls turn up during the mating season. In case of an attack the herd defends as a closed community and hence rarely falls victim to predators. The domesticated Yak is not just an important source of food, but also the only provider of milk, leather and wool in faraway alpine regions, as well as an important pack ad riding animal which can transport up to kg.
With its wide and robust claws it is particularly sure of step and especially on snowy mountain passes a valuable attendant. Besides local goods they often transport climbing equipment for foreign extreme mountain climbers to base camps. Owing to its dual characteristics of aridity and extremely high elevation, the Tibetan Plateau is warming at nearly twice the rate as other parts of Earth. As a direct consequence, seasonal-melting is intensifying, thereby accelerating glacial recession, escalating river flows, and increasing lake levels.
Associated alteration of hydrological regimes and vegetation biomass may open areas for additional colonization by semi-nomadic Tibetan pastoralists, and consequent increases in yak-human conflict for grazing habitat are likely to occur.
Warming temperatures from climate change are also likely to impact wild yaks and other high elevation or high latitude wildlife because of their intolerance to heat, a reduction in habitat brought about by decreased food access e. Alternatively, glacial recession might create suitable habitat for yak where previously it was under ice. To combat the entwined threats of human-wildlife conflict and climate change, the Wildlife Conservation Society is undertaking complementary research and conservation programs in Changtang National Nature Reserve.
This will 1 separate the domestic and wild population, 2 provide more habitat for wild yak, and 3 help reduce interactions between wild and domestic yak. Thus by controlling human-livestock expansion, wild yak should have more suitable habitat south of their current distribution and populations will be able to increase. To inform wild yak conservation and better predict the effect of climate change on the availability and distribution of habitat for wild yaks, WCS scientists are also partnering with Tibetan agencies and the University of Montana to address two key questions: 1 to what extent are wild yak reliant on peri-glacial zones?
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