Wild Yak (Bos mutus,), known as Ban Chauri in Nepali belongs to family Bovidae of order Aritodactyla. Globally, the species is native to China, India and Nepal. Wild Yak lives in alpine tundra; grasslands and cold desert regions, and move seasonally, descending into lower valleys in the winter. However, current distribution range of this species is not well known. Wild Yak used to occur in northern Nepal and may still exist in the northern border neighboring Tibet. There is no information available on the population size of this species in Nepal. Wild yak was thought to be extinct until its rediscovery in the year 2014 at Limi Valley in Humla district (Acharya et al. 2015). Globally wild yak is listed as Vulnerable by IUCN Red List. While, nationally it is categorized as Data Deficient. The legal status of this species in Nepal is Protected (Appendix I) by National Park and Wildlife Conservation Act 1973. Similarly, CITES has listed wild Yak in Appendix I species.
Reference
