In the alpine meadows of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau at an altitude of 3000-6000 meters, there is a bovine animal, that is, wild yaks! Wild yaks are hardy, cold, hungry and thirsty, and have outstanding adaptability to extreme cold and low oxygen environments, and come and go freely in high seabed areas, known as "plateau boats".
The wild yak is a cattle species endemic to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, a majestic plateau giant beast, and is listed as a national first-class key protected wild animal. But in the vast no-man's land of Cocoxili, wild yaks are being artificially captured.
01
Twice entered Cocoxili, hunted 2 wild yaks, sold 1 and died
Cocoxili is vast, barren and magnificent, and as far as the eye can see, the lake is as quiet as a mirror, the mountains are endless, and under the sky are wild yaks running free, and the picture is full of rough wild beauty.
But in November 2021, in the Kokosilichahuma region, a herd of wild yaks was leisurely foraging, and juvenile calves followed the group.
Poacher Dan knew that wild yaks were huge and powerful, so he set his sights on a young wild yak.
Dan quietly followed the wild yak herd, taking advantage of the adult wild yaks scattered to feed, and when the small wild yak played on its own, he designed to capture a small wild yak, and then quickly left the scene.
After that, he sold small wild yaks and made a lot of money. Seeing that this "no-capital business" was very profitable, he decided to poach wild yaks again.
In June 2022, poacher Dan and several accomplices once again extended their "claws" to wild yaks and caught another small wild yak.
Perhaps during the hunt, the little wild yak reacted violently and was injured. On their way to transport the wild yak to Qumalai County, the small wild yak died.
Even so, poachers have not stopped poaching wild animals.
02
Another 10 wild yaks were hunted in Cocoxili, and 5 died during the transport
Dan, together with Da, Guo and others, went to Cocoxili again in June 2022 to poach, they are no longer satisfied with poaching one or two wild yaks, in their words, it is to "do a big vote".
Find out the characteristics and habits of wild yaks, and then mainly target juvenile wild yaks. Because adult wild yaks have a big temper and strength, they can even overturn cars, even if they use "means", it is difficult to catch.
This time they hunted 10 wild yaks. Did you know that wild yaks are social animals that spare no effort to protect their young calves whenever they are in danger? It's hard to imagine how manic and sad those cows who have lost their cubs are.
Ignoring life and not revering nature, these people transported wild yaks to Qumalai County for sale. Five wild yaks died and another five were trafficked.
Shortly after the crime, seven poachers were arrested.
03
A wild yak is worth 500,000, what price do poachers pay?
Dan and his accomplices poached a total of 12 wild yaks, 6 of which died and the other 6 were sold. Wild yaks are national first-class protected animals, wild yaks, worth 500,000 yuan each.
On the morning of May 9, 2023, the verdict was pronounced in this case, and 7 people, including Dan and Da, were sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment ranging from 4 years and 6 months to 11 years and 6 months, and fined.
Many netizens asked, how is a wild yak worth 500,000 yuan assessed? Are wild yaks really that precious?
In the Kekexili region and even the entire Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, wild yaks play an important ecological role and are indispensable members of the plateau grassland ecosystem.
The survival of a species is closely related to the entire ecosystem. Therefore, we protect wild yaks, not just to protect this species, but to maintain the balance of the entire ecosystem. At the same time, it is also to protect the earth and protect the homeland on which human beings depend.
However, the quality of wild yak meat, the durability of the leather, and the fact that the hair can be woven into blankets have led poachers to target wild yaks.
It is estimated that there are only about 30,000 to 50,000 wild yaks on the mainland, and the main threat is rampant human poaching, which puts wild yaks on the brink of extinction.
04
What is the difference between a wild yak and a domestic yak?
Some netizens asked, since wild yaks are so precious, can they be filled with domestic yaks?
On the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, you can often see a large herd of yaks, which are domestic yaks raised by the locals, which are the same kind as wild yaks, but different.
Wild yaks have lived on Earth for more than 3 million years, and domestic yaks are domesticated from wild yaks. That is, wild yaks are the ancestors of domestic yaks.
Distributed in southern Xinjiang, Qinghai, Tibet, northwestern Gansu and western Sichuan, wild yaks can be seen in various environments such as inaccessible alpine peaks, mountain basins, and alpine desert grasslands.
The size of the wild yak can be called huge, weighing 500-600 kg, measuring 200-260 cm in length and 160-180 cm at the shoulder. And the domestic yak, weighing about 200-400 kg, is a circle smaller.
In addition to the difference in body shape, the shape of the horn is also different, the horn of the wild yak extends from the head to the sides, and then bends forward and rises, which is more spectacular; Domestic yaks, on the other hand, have smaller horns, narrowly spaced and usually face straight up.
Yaks are an important survival support for local people and a symbolic cultural carrier. The wild yak, on the other hand, is a huge and powerful life on the plateau, like an indomitable soul on the wasteland.