How is global warming affecting yaks?

Answer 1

The yak or Bos grunniens - population is declining sharply. Yaks are being gradually pushed up the Himalayas, with scientists fearing that the time is not far away when there will be no more "comfort zone" left for it to survive. Only four states in India have yaks - Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

"It's a serious case of impact of climate change and global warming. Farmers are increasingly reporting that their animals are unable to bear the rising temperature in altitudes that were comfort zone for centuries," said K P Ramesha, senior scientist with the National Research Centre on Yak (NRCY), the only centre of its kind in India.

Yaks can live only in altitudes starting from 7000 feet upwards, and while 5-13° Celsius is its thermo-neutral or comfort zone, it is also the only animal that can survive even at minus-40° Celsius. But yak rearers are now moving upwards above 8,000 feet in order to save their animals.

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Answer 2

Global warming is affecting yaks by causing shifts in their habitat and reducing the availability of suitable grazing land due to changes in temperature and precipitation patterns. This leads to food scarcity for yaks, impacting their survival and overall population. Additionally, rising temperatures increase the risk of heat stress among yaks, making them vulnerable to heat-related health issues.