To save the vulnerable yak population in highlands, the Department of Livestock and the National Highland Research Development Centre in Bumthang are supplying feed supplements including mustard oil cake and maize flour to the yak herders. The feed supplements were supplied to yak herding communities in Haa, Bumthang and Gasa.
With spring approaching, it is almost time for the yaks to migrate upstream for their summer habitat. This is a particularly challenging time for the vulnerable yaks. Calves and old and pregnant yaks are categorised as vulnerable.
As shrubs and grasses are still covered in ice and snow due to continuous snowfall on the mountains, the yak herders are worried about losing more animals as they migrate to the mountains.
Much to their relief, the district livestock sectors are supplying feeds to the herders. The feeds are expected to last for a month.
On Monday, the Haa District Livestock Office supplied nearly 22 metric tons of feed to around 60 yak-herding families in Bji, Katsho and Eusu Gewogs under Haa Dzongkhag.
“This is the time when our yaks don’t get enough feed. Moreover, this year we received heavy snowfall covering all the natural feed available. Rearing yaks is our main source of livelihood. We are grateful to the government for the support,” said Lhapchu, a yak herder.
“We understand that the government is struggling financially amid the pandemic. Yet the government acknowledged our crisis and helped us. We are grateful that the government is giving feed supplements,” said Sonam Dorji, another yak herder.
Similarly, the National Highland Research Development Centre in Bumthang in collaboration with the National Research Development Centre for Animal Nutrition processed and supplied two metric tons of organic feeds for yak herders in Bumthang.
The feeds were also distributed to yak herders in Gasa. The Department of Livestock through the High Land Development Programme is also implementing a long-term strategy to improve degraded rangeland and provide alternative feed sources and expand new pasturelands.
Meanwhile, the highland communities across the country have lost close to 350 yaks due to the heavy snowfall this winter. According to the Department of Livestock, the yaks allegedly died of starvation as fodder remained covered in thick blankets of snow.
And the herders could not feed the locally formulated feed and dried hay as the yaks were dispersed in the wild looking for feed. According to the livestock department, the number is likely to be higher as they are still receiving reports with many yaks still missing.
The highlanders received around four feet of snow this year.
Namgay Wangchuk, Paro
