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About Yak: Yaks are bovine mammal.
It is oxlike in build, with short, thick legs, humped
shoulders, large upcurved horns, and a thick coat that hangs down
to the ankles. Wild yaks were formerly found from Kashmir to West
China, but were so extensively hunted for meat and hides that they
now survive only in isolated highlands at elevations above 14,000
ft (4,300 m). They live in herds numbering from 10 to 100 animals,
mostly females and young led by a few old bulls; males are mostly
solitary.
Yaks have been domesticated for centuries, and
the domestic form has been introduced into other parts of central
Asia. The wild yak may attain a shoulder height of 65 in. (165 cm)
and have horns 3 ft (90 cm) long; its coat is dark brown. The
domesticated yak is smaller, with short horns; its coat, which may
be long enough to reach the ground, may be black, brown, reddish,
piebald, or albino. Yaks can live on vegetation so sparse that it
cannot support other domesticated animals. The domestic yak is a
source of milk, butter, meat, hair (for cloth), and leather and is
also much used as a beast of burden.
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