KP Launches Rs. 300 Million Project to Protect Rare Yak Species

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives Department has proposed a Rs. 300 million project to conserve and improve the declining yak population in Upper Chitral over the next three years.

The project, titled the Yak Conservation and Productivity Enhancement Project, will be carried out under the Annual Development Programme 2026–2029. It is being described as Pakistan’s first comprehensive initiative focused on yak conservation, scientific breeding and productivity improvement.

According to officials, Pakistan is home to only 1,923 yaks, based on the 7th Agricultural Census 2024. This makes the yak one of the rarest livestock species in the country and among the most threatened in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Yaks are found in Pakistan almost entirely in the remote valleys of Upper Chitral. The animal is specially adapted to harsh high-altitude environments in the Hindukush, Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau, where conventional livestock struggle to survive.

For centuries, yaks have played an important role in the lives of mountain communities living above 3,000 meters. They provide milk, meat, butter, cheese, wool and transportation, while also carrying cultural and traditional value for indigenous communities in Upper Chitral.

However, the species has been facing a serious decline due to climate change, degradation of alpine pastures, indiscriminate crossbreeding, lack of organized breeding programs, limited veterinary services and the absence of scientific conservation efforts.

As part of the new project, the department will establish a dedicated Yak Research and Conservation Centre in Upper Chitral. The center will be supported by a nucleus herd of 50 purebred yaks, including 40 females and 10 males, to protect indigenous genetics and improve breeding.

The project will also include modern animal housing, laboratories, farmer facilitation facilities and research infrastructure. These facilities will support work on scientific breeding, animal health, nutrition and productivity enhancement.

Local livestock keepers will be trained in improved yak husbandry, breeding and herd management. The project will also promote value addition of yak milk, cheese, butter, meat, wool and traditional handicrafts.

In addition, the initiative aims to support ecotourism and cultural tourism through Yak Festivals and awareness programs.

The project is part of the “Green Tourism” pillar of the Livestock Roadmap 2031. Officials say it will link livestock conservation with biodiversity protection, sustainable tourism, rural livelihoods and climate resilience.

The initiative is expected to conserve Pakistan’s endangered yak population, establish sustainable yak farming clusters, increase milk and meat production, create employment opportunities, strengthen mountain economies, improve food security and generate scientific data for future breeding and conservation policies.