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Domestic yak
At Paignton Zoo, you can see two male domestic yaks, Ron and Cedric.
The pair arrived from Whipsnade Zoo in 2026 and are among the first species to join the zoo's developing Grasslands habitat, where visitors can watch them grazing alongside other grassland animals.
Class:
Mammalia
Order:
Artiodactyla
Family:
Bovidae
About the domestic yak
The domestic yak is a hardy member of the cattle family, perfectly adapted to life in the cold, mountainous regions of Central Asia. Descended from the wild yak, domestic yaks have been kept by people for thousands of years and are commonly found across Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, northern India, Mongolia, and western China, where they live on high-altitude grasslands and alpine meadows.
Well suited to harsh environments, domestic yaks have thick, shaggy coats, dense underfur, and large lungs that allow them to thrive in thin mountain air. They are herbivores, feeding mainly on grasses, herbs, sedges, and other hardy vegetation found across the Himalayan Plateau.
Conservation
Domestic yaks are not assessed by the IUCN because they are a domesticated species. Their wild ancestor, the wild yak (Bos mutus), is classified as Vulnerable due to habitat loss, hunting, and hybridisation with domestic animals across parts of the Tibetan Plateau and western China.
Modern breeding programmes help preserve healthy domestic yak populations, while conservation efforts for wild yaks focus on protecting their natural habitat and reducing conflict with people and livestock.