According to wildlife experts, the existence of this rare animal had remained unnoticed for almost five decades until 2014.
"It was back in 2000 that a team of researchers including myself found some wild yak remains in upper Mustang," said Karan Bahadur Shah, professor of zoology at Tribhuwan University. "A local man was in possession of a wild yak horn, and he also claimed that he hunted these animals more than three decades back but they were never seen again," Shah added.
"This find has been an eye opener for researchers like us, and an indicator that wild yaks, which were once considered extinct, do exist in Nepal," he further said.
The researchers who were affiliated with Friends of Nature (FoN), an organization devoted to conserving and protecting wildlife in Nepal, had spotted the animal while conducting research on the wolf and the red fox in Limi valley.
"We were at an altitude of 5,000 meters above sea level, searching day and night for the wolf and red fox, and quiite unexpectedly, we encountered the animal at a distance," said Raju Adhikari, executive director of FoN, adding, "Without wasting any time, a foreign friend who had come with us took photos and made a short video as well." It was a proud moment for them.
The animal was later verified as wild yak with the help of international experts and the Natural History Museum in Nepal.
"The whole process of identifying the animal had taken nine months," Adhikari said.
The wild yak was spotted at an aerial distance of 10 kilometers from the nearest settlement in Limi valley, which is far from the reach of national development and modernization.
Spread over 1,200 square kilometers, Limi valley is home to an abundance of rare flora and fauna.With forests, shurb, grasslands and rivers that flow throughout the year, the valley is a haven for wildlife. The area is best known as habitat for the snow leopard, musk deer, brown bear, red fox, wild ass, Tibetan gazelle, argali and wolf.
"Despite the richness of our bio-diversity and ecology, we have failed to study these due to lack of technical teams and budget resources. It takes at least Rs 300,000-Rs 500,000 for an individual to reach Humla and Limi valley. Conducting a study will require double that expense," said Shah, the zoology professor.
Shah also explained the difference between wild yak and domestic yaks that are reared in the mountain regions. According to him, domestic yaks are used in plowing fields and carrying loads in lower Mustang and are locally known as 'dzos'. They are hybrids between yak and cow. Wild yaks graze above 5,000 meters and rarely approach human settlements.
Wild yaks are found only in India, China and Nepal. Their population has been estimated around 15,000, of which 9,000 have been counted in Tibet.
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