Cart

Your cart is empty

Yak Facts On Where Yaks Live And Why Their Coat Is So Warm

These fantastical beasts forged by the jagged Himalayan peaks are as soft and furry as they are rugged and tough.


By Oliver Charles

Yaks are the shaggy, high-altitude cattle of the Himalayas, and they live higher than any other wool-bearing animal on earth. They survive winters down to -60°F on a coat of coarse outer hair over a layer of fine down, and that down is the fiber knitwear is made from.

Have you ever seen a Yak?

They are indigenous to the Himalayas and can be found grazing in the high altitudes of the Tibetan Plateau and the mountains of Central Asia.

These animals are invaluable to the people who live in these harsh environments, and as such, yak wool is especially prized for its warmth and durability.

So what exactly are yaks, and why are they suddenly becoming so popular?

A domestic yak on open ground, the animal both yak types descend from

What Types Of Yak Are There?

There are two types of yak: the domestic yak (Bos grunniens) and the wild yak (Bos mutus).

Domestic Yak (Bos grunniens):

The domestic yak is the one you are most likely to see in zoos or on yak farms.

They are smaller than their wild cousins and have been domesticated for thousands of years.

Domestic yaks are used for producing yak dairy, and yak meat, which is considered a delicacy in some parts of the world.

They also produce yak wool, used to make yak down, an extremely efficient and soft type of insulation.

Wild Yak (Bos mutus):

The wild yak is a giant, shaggy beast that roams the mountains of East Asia. They are only found in the high altitudes of the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayan mountains.

Wild yaks can grow up to six feet tall at the shoulder and weigh up to 2000 pounds.

The domestic yak and the wild yak compared on five points
Domestic Yak Wild Yak
Latin Name Bos grunniens Bos mutus
Size Noticeably smaller, bred down over generations Up to 6 ft at the shoulder, 2,000 lb
Where It Lives Herded by nomadic families from Tibet to Mongolia, and now as far as the United States Only the high country of the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas
How Many Are Left Millions, and thriving Fewer than 10,000, down from over a million
What It Is Kept For Milk, meat, loads where roads do not reach, and the down combed out for yarn Nothing. It has stayed wild
A yak herd grazing high pasture below the Himalayan peaks
A yak on a steep rocky slope, the terrain its wide padded hooves are built for

Where Do Yaks Live?

These shaggy, friendly beasts are sure-footed climbers that can survive in some of the harshest climates on Earth.

The vast majority of yaks live in the mountainous regions of the Tibetan Plateau, Nepal, Bhutan, Northern India, Eastern China, and Mongolia.

Yaks are very sure-footed and can climb steep slopes with ease. Their hooves are wide and padded, which helps them to grip the ground and prevents them from slipping.

While yaks prefer the extreme mountain climates they’re very versatile and are domesticated across the globe, including in the United States, Africa, and Europe.

A yak standing through falling snow, the winter its coat is built for

How Cold Can A Yak Survive?

Yaks can tolerate temperatures as low as -60° Fahrenheit.

Yaks have incredibly long, thick skirts of fur and an extra layer of subcutaneous fat that protects them from the cold.

As a result, yak wool is one of the warmest wools available and is often used to make clothing.

In fact, yak down is so cozy that mountaineers and explorers use it as an added layer of warmth for their expedition gear in Antarctica and the Himalayas.

Is Yak Wool A Good Cashmere Alternative?

Yak wool is becoming increasingly popular as a sustainable alternative to cashmere.

It’s just as soft and luxurious as cashmere, but it is also more durable and easier to care for.

The biggest difference between the two fibers is color. Yak fibers are naturally brown whereas cashmere is naturally white.

The white cashmere fibers are easier to dye, historically, making them the natural choice for fashion brands around the world.

Three yaks, two black and one black and white, grazing on bare stony ground
The neckline of a Charcoal marled sweater resting on an Oliver Charles canvas tote bag

What Is Yak Wool Used For?

Yak down is combed out as the animal sheds, then spun into yarn. Most of it becomes knitwear: sweaters, scarves, hats and blankets. The rough outer hair is a different material entirely, and it goes into rope, tents and bags.

We knit ours into sweaters. Our All-Season Sweaters are machine washable and our Winter Sweaters are hand wash. If you want the fiber in more detail, that is what the yak wool guide is for.

Warm

40% warmer than sheep’s wool, so a winter walk takes one layer less.

Soft

Comfortable at the neck and the wrists, as fine as Grade A cashmere.

Light

Warm without the bulk, which means it fits easily under a coat.

Odor-Resistant

Holds little odor. Fewer washes, and a longer life for the knit.

Naturally Brown

Yak down grows in shades of brown, so our undyed sweaters skip the dye bath.

Durable

Tougher than cashmere, and it holds up to years of wear.

A lone wild yak on open plateau, the animal now down to fewer than 10,000

How Many Wild Yaks Are Left?

Just 50 years ago more than a million wild yaks inhabited the Tibetan Plateau. Today the International Union for Conservation of Nature estimates the population at under 10,000.

The decline of yaks in the wild is due to several factors, including overhunting, habitat loss, and competition from domesticated yaks for food and resources.

Yaks are almost entirely domesticated. Indigenous people domesticated yaks thousands of years ago.

Linguistic scholars have found elaborate yak-related phrases and terminology in native Asian languages such as Tibetic and Gyalrongic.

Unique terms exist within these languages that describe ancient cross-breeds of yak and cattle, suggesting the tremendous cultural influence of yaks on humans for millennia.

While the future of wild yaks is uncertain, yak husbandry continues to play an essential role in many people’s lives across Asia and, more recently, western civilization as well.

A yak close up, unbothered by the person holding the camera

Are Yaks Friendly?

Yes. While yak may appear to be intimidating animals, they are docile and well used to people.

Yaks will often greet people with a soft grunt, and they will stand to be petted and scratched. In addition, yak calves are lively, and have been known to follow people around.

Their relationship with humans has always been symbiotic. As domesticated yaks help humans survive in rugged terrains such as the Tibetan Plateau, yaks, in turn, benefit from the care and protection that humans provide.

Since yaks will not eat food sources such as grain or meat, domesticated yaks rely on their shepherds to guide them to grassy plains where they can feast.

Is Yak Milk Actually Healthy?

Yak milk is rich in protein, calcium, and vitamin A.

It also contains less lactose than cow’s milk.

Yak milk is often made into cheese, yogurt, and butter. Yak milk products are widely available in Asia and have become more prevalent in Western countries as people become more aware of their health benefits.

Bonus Fun Facts!

  • Yaks make a deep grunting noise, unlike their distant relative the cow.
  • The word yak refers only to the male. A female is called a Dri or Nak.
  • White yaks are extremely rare. Less than 3% of the population is believed to be white, with most animals living in the Tianzhu region of Tibet.
  • Yaks use their horns to break through snow and ice. It’s the only way to reach the grass frozen beneath the tundra in the winter.
  • Yaks produce about a kilogram (2.2 lbs.) of down annually. Compared to cashmere goats which only produce about 100 grams.

Yak Facts FAQ

What Kind Of Animal Is A Yak?

A yak is a long-haired ox of the Himalayas and Central Asia. A few wild herds remain, but almost every yak alive today is a domestic one.

What Is A Female Yak Called?

A female yak is called a dri, or a nak. The word yak refers only to the male, so the butter and cheese sold as yak dairy is, strictly speaking, dri dairy.

What Is A Male Yak Called?

Just yak. The word refers to the male animal on its own, which is why the female has her own name.

How Big Do Yaks Get?

Wild yaks grow up to six feet tall at the shoulder and weigh as much as 2,000 pounds. Domestic yaks are a good deal smaller, after a few thousand years of breeding.

What Do Yaks Eat?

Grass, and very little else. Yaks will not take grain or meat, so herders move them between high pastures through the year. In winter they break through snow and ice with their horns to reach the grass frozen underneath.

What Are Yaks Used For?

Yaks are working animals in the high country. They carry loads where roads do not reach, give milk, cheese, butter and meat, and grow the down our yarn is spun from.

What Is The Difference Between Yak Fur And Yak Wool?

They are two layers of the same coat. The outer layer is coarse guard hair, strong enough for rope and tent cloth. The layer under it is the down, soft enough to wear against the skin, and that is what gets spun for sweaters.

How Much Wool Does One Yak Produce?

About a kilogram, or 2.2 pounds, of down a year. A cashmere goat produces around 100 grams, so a single yak yields roughly ten times as much of the fine stuff.

Are Yaks Endangered?

The wild yak is, and the domestic yak is not. Fewer than 10,000 wild yaks are thought to remain on the Tibetan Plateau, down from more than a million fifty years ago, while domestic yaks number in the millions across Asia.

Every good wardrobe starts with owning less and owning better.

Shop Yak Wool