The New Student's Reference Work/Yak

Yak, an ox-like animal found in Tibet and central Asia. It is related both to the bison and the true oxen. In a wild state it is found on the high plateaus of Tibet between the Altai and Himalaya Mountains. It can at once be distinguished by the long hair, which hangs from each side like a curtain, in some cases touching the ground. The hair is longer in the domesticated than in the wild forms. The tail also is very hairy, and the white tips are cut off by the Chinese, who dye them red and use them as tassels. There is a hump over the forelegs, and this is exaggerated by the hairy mane. The yak has been domesticated for centuries in Tibet, and is extensively used as a beast of burden. It feeds on grass, and one peculiarity of its feeding is that it refuses to eat corn. These animals are about the height of a small ox. The cows yield milk, and the skins both of cows and bulls are used for clothing.