NBAGR Registered Breed Animal Breed

Ladakhi Yak: New Registered Yak Breed of India Adapted to High-Altitude Ladakh

ByRakesh Kumar 09/12/202507/28/2025Updated On 07/28/202509/12/2025

Physical and Morphological Traits of Ladakhi Yak

Ladakhi Yak Information

Conservation Status	Not at Risk (but dwindling population)
Scientific Classification	Domain: Eukaryota Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Artiodactyla Family: Bovidae Genus: Poephagus Species: Poephagus grunniens Binomial Name: Poephagus grunniens (Linnaeus, 1766)
Breed Type	Multipurpose (Milk, Meat, Fibre, Draught, Transport, Manure)
Alternate Names	Yak, Ladakhi Yak
Origin	Indigenous to Ladakh, India; domesticated from wild yak (Poephagus mutus)
Distribution	Primary: Leh and Kargil districts Regions: Sham, Changthang, Nubra, Zanskar
Breed Composition	Domesticated from wild yak; adapted to cold-arid, high-altitude habitat
Physical Traits	Color: Majority black; some with white face/forehead or dorsal stripe Size: Medium (larger than Arunachali Yak) Horns: 2; curved forward-backward with pointed tips (Male: 28–35 cm, Female: 18–24 cm) Hair: Long hair covering brisket, belly, ribs, lateral parts and legs Special Traits: Horizontal ears; convex head; trough-shaped udder
Performance Traits	Average Adult Weight: Male – 250 kg, Female – 183 kg Milk Yield per Lactation: 185 kg (range: 120–224 kg) Milk Fat: 7.45% (range: 4.5–9.8%) Fleece Weight: 1.5 kg/year (range: 0.65–1.85 kg) Fibre Type: Coarse (carpet) and down fibre (0.5 kg per clipping at 12 months)
Breeding Traits	Age at First Parturition: ~43 months Parturition Interval: ~16.8 months Litter Size: Typically Single Twinning Rate: 0.25–0.5%
Adaptability	Well adapted to cold-arid climate, high-altitude hypoxic conditions, wind and UV exposure
Management	System: Extensive; transhumant grazing Feeding: Grazing, fodder (alfalfa, maize grain, rice polish, straw, salt, tree leaves) Winter Shelter: Near homestead during snowfall Yak rearers: Brokpas
Population	~14,000 (Leh district, 2019); declining trend nationally
Breed Recognition	Recognized as NBAGR Registered Breed (Second Registered Yak Breed after Arunachali Yak)
NBAGR: Ladakhi Yak Breed Details

Ladakhi Yak

Registered Yak Breed of India

Yak in Ladakh

High Altitude Livestock

Himalayan Yak Breed

Yak Farming in India

Ladakh Animal Husbandry

Indigenous Yak Breed

Ladakh Yak Characteristics

Trans-Himalayan Yak

Discover the Ladakhi Yak – India’s newly registered high-altitude yak breed, native to Ladakh. Learn about its habitat, characteristics, uses, and why it’s vital to Himalayan pastoral culture.
THE RAJASTHAN EXPRESS

Rakesh Kumar

Hello, my name is Rakesh Kumar. Currently, I am working as a Livestock Inspector in the Rajasthan Government Animal Husbandry Department. In the year 2024, I appeared for my first government examination and secured selection in my very first attempt with an impressive 684 rank, which is a matter of great pride for me.