The heat is on Himalayan yaks

KUFRI ( HIMACHAL PRADESH): The next time you go for a yak ride or pose for a photo with a shaggy animal at tourist-frequented Kufri, remember: the rare animal has become a victim of crass commercial exploitation.

Right outside a Kufri wildlife park, many yak-owners cash in on district licensing authority's apparent apathy towards the long-haired bovine's sad plight. For Rs 20, you can get a picture clicked with a yak, also called camel of the snow. These rare animals die within the same year they are brought to Kufri because this tourist destination is at a much lower altitude than what is naturally suited for yaks, which is around 10,000 feet to 18,000 feet.

Being one of the many offering yak rides, Madan Lal, acknowledges that his animals have died an abrupt death in the past. "The district administration gives me a licence to claim money for a picture and video with the yak. At least eight yaks have died in the last couple of years in Kufri alone," he says.

For People For Animals, Payal Sodhi, the reason is all too clear. Yak physiology is well-adapted to high altitude, having larger lungs and heart than those in cattle found in the lower ranges, as well as greater capacity for transporting oxygen through their blood, she states.

State's joint director, tourism, Manoj Joshi, concedes: "Animal enthusiasts have been sending complaints relating to cruelty against yaks. But it's the district administration that needs to ascertain who can get a licence.���

Commenting on the attitude of authorities, Sodhi says: "Tourism industry is the biggest violator of wildlife and the state government shields these criminals by saying it's a source of revenue." The animals' miserable existence is not lost on officials. Says Sanjeeva Pandey, chief conservator of forests wildlife: "These yaks are in a really bad condition and need immediate relief. They must be removed urgently."

Despite a consensus on the issue, there is hardly any initiative. This, despite the fact that Section 11 of Prevention of Cruelty against Animals Act empowers authorities to book offenders if the animal is kept in poor conditions that can hasten its death.