The Kangchenjung Landscape (KL), one of 36 global Biodiversity Hotspots, is one of the six transboundary landscapes in the HKH region. It covers 25,081 km2 between Bhutan, India, and Nepal. As 20% of the KL is rangeland, animal husbandry is vital and yak rearing in particular is the main source of livelihoods for local communities in the high elevation belts of the landscape in Bhutan, Sikkim, and eastern Nepal. The yak is integral to the culture, tradition, and social life of yak herding communities. The yak is a source of milk, meat, fibers, hide, and dung in places where arable farming is impossible. Yaks are also used for riding and as pack animals for transporting goods in hilly terrain. Yak herders in the KL lead a semi-nomadic life, moving with animals to higher altitudes in the summer and to lower altitudes during winter months.
