Conflict and conservation: Wild yak on Tibetan Plateau in China

Lishu Li

Lack of information about population status and biological knowledge of the wild yak (Bos mutus) is a serious problem when conservation initiative are planed for this unique species on the Tibetan Plateau in China. Increasing human activities, including the expansion of grazing and cattle, are dramatically contracting yak's habitat. Our study will start to address key threats to the persistence of wild yaks in interactions with human by: a) gaining basic knowledge of wild yak population and biological characters in Chang Tang; b) understanding major conflicts from local community perspectives; and c) raising awareness and knowledge of wild yak conservation in local communities.