Yak herding a means of survival in Kyrgyzstan's harsh mountain region
Kyrgyz yak herder's complete dependence on one species is not unlike Nenets people's of Yamal-Nenets
(Reuters) - Little plant and animal life adapts to the harsh and unforgiving environment of Kyrgyzstan s mountain ranges. Shrubs dot the slopes between perpetually snow-covered mountaintops and often frozen rivers and lakes. This austere environment is ideal for the hardy yak, and for the sparce population of those regions, the only source of livelihood.
Seasoned yak herder Suyunbek Tunkatarov and his wife Gulnara Baibosynova use almost every aspect of the yak for survival. Apart from the meat provided by the mammals, their manure is a source of fuel for cooking and heat. Yaks do not produce very much milk, but what Baibosynova extracts from them is dense enough to be made into butter that provides for the couple throughout the year.
Kyrgyz yak herder s complete dependence on one species is not unlike the Nenets people s of Yamal-Nenets peninsula in Russia whose entire livelihood and culture depends on reindeer. But unlike the Nenets people, there is no near-religious reverence of the yak since for Tunkatarov and his wife, they are only caretakers of the yaks and employees of a private agricultural firm "Kyrgoo" that own and sells the yaks.
According to Baibosynova, the couple left five children in the care of her mother in their native village of Barksoon in 2012 and moved to the remote location, 3500 meters above sea-level, to earn money.
In one of the poorest nations in the Post-Soviet space with one of the highest rates of unemployment, job opportunities are few.
The factory director of one of Kyrgyzstan s main meat producers told Reuters that yak meat is steadily growing in popularity as consumers are enticed by the unpolluted environment in which yaks are reared.
An average yak sells for about 280 soms (4 USD).
