Gannan

Gannan yak is a Chinese domestic yak population from Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Gansu Province, on the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It is one of the best-known local yak types in that region, raised on high alpine meadows where cold, wind, and a short growing season shape both the animal and the herding system. Gannan yaks are commonly dark, with heavy hair, a dense undercoat, strong legs, and the compact body typical of Bos grunniens. They supply milk, butter, meat, hides, hair, fuel from dried dung, and pack power for pastoral households.

Herding is based on seasonal grazing, so practical management centers on pasture condition and getting animals through winter and spring when forage is poor. Hay reserves, mineral salt, calf protection, and timely veterinary work can make a large difference in survival and productivity. Gannan yaks are better suited to cool uplands than to hot low-altitude farms. Selection programs may focus on growth, milk, or fiber, but conservation planning also tries to preserve the local genetics that make the type useful on eastern Plateau rangelands.

Colors: Golden, Golden Royal, Golden Trim, Imperial Black, Imperial Trim, Native Black, Native Black Trim, Royal, White