Yaks are uniquely adapted to extreme altitude environments but face growing welfare challenges from changing land use and climate pressures on high plateau ecosystems.
Yak welfare is inseparable from the health of high-altitude pastoral ecosystems. Yaks evolved for nomadic movement across vast plateau grasslands - seasonal migration allows pastures to recover and gives yaks access to diverse forage. When traditional nomadic practices are disrupted by policy or climate change, welfare consequences include overgrazing near settlements, reduced dietary diversity and increased disease risk. Climate-related changes to snowfall patterns can trap yaks without adequate winter forage - a welfare emergency that kills animals each year. Preserving traditional pastoral management systems is both a cultural imperative and a welfare necessity.