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| Yak also called the Grunting Ox. |
The Yak, or grunting ox, gets its name from the peculiar noise it makes. This magnificent creature lives in the Pamirs, or high country between the Himalayas, Russia, and China. These vast plains reach for many miles, and are more elevated than the European snow-line. That is why the Pamirs are called the roof of the world. Over the immense tracks of Thibet the yak wanders, either in small companies or just by itself. It feeds upon the grasses which are found in summer, and in winter digs them up out of the snow. Its nose is strongly built, so that it can push away the snow which covers its food. Its sense of smell is also very keen, and enables it not only to detect its food when covered, but also to scent enemies at a great distance.
In the early spring the female gives birth to a single calf, which, when young, is said to resemble a Newfoundland dog. At this early age the calf is in great danger from the hungry packs of wolves, which would not hesitate to attack the old bull yaks themselves. The people of Thibet have managed to tame this great creature and turn it into a beast of burden. For the country it lives in it is very useful, but it is doubtful if the Europeans would put up with its whims and temper. Its skin is beautiful, the fur growing to a great length on the sides, while its bushy white tail was largely sought after for cap decorations and fans for the Chinese long ago. There is a species called the "plough" yak, which is not as line an animal as the true yak. It is a poor, ill-used beast, and is generally without a tail, which its cruel master has cut off and sold.
In the early spring the female gives birth to a single calf, which, when young, is said to resemble a Newfoundland dog. At this early age the calf is in great danger from the hungry packs of wolves, which would not hesitate to attack the old bull yaks themselves. The people of Thibet have managed to tame this great creature and turn it into a beast of burden. For the country it lives in it is very useful, but it is doubtful if the Europeans would put up with its whims and temper. Its skin is beautiful, the fur growing to a great length on the sides, while its bushy white tail was largely sought after for cap decorations and fans for the Chinese long ago. There is a species called the "plough" yak, which is not as line an animal as the true yak. It is a poor, ill-used beast, and is generally without a tail, which its cruel master has cut off and sold.