TestenGOLD- Free

The last yak herders of the Mustang Valley

Mint Mumbai|December 21, 2024
As the fabled Mustang Valley in Nepal gets integrated into modernity, the ancient economy of transhumance is fading
- Amish Raj Mulmi
The last yak herders of the Mustang Valley

Unlike their lowland cousins, yaks are a difficult lot. They can be unpredictable, their massive horns a great deterrent to anyone who wants to come close, and even the biggest cattle is dwarfed by them in size. In the high Himalaya, where there is barely any grass, they can survive on thorny caragana shrubs when winter sets in and the ground is covered in snow.

We are on the outskirts of Chumjung village in Mustang, often termed as the last village in Nepal because of its proximity to the China border. Yet there is a serene calmness with which Pasang Tsering, 40, ties the legs of a female yak—dri or nag in Tibetan—with a rope made from yak wool and gets its calf to suckle and induce the milk. A few sips later, he corrals the calf, sits on a makeshift stool, and begins to milk the mother. The animal ruminates nonchalantly; the calf bellows in desperation to return to its mother.

The milk is collected in a bucket, and will be churned into butter or made into chhurpi, hard cheese that can last for months. As soon as Tsering is done, he unties the legs of the dri and lets the calf loose from the corral. The little one runs to its mother, first nuzzling her face in a gesture of affirmation, then begins to feed. Tsering moves to another dri and repeats the process.

To the east, where the plain slopes down to a vast valley that leads down to Chumjung village, the sun rises behind three male yaks, their horns sparkling with mist. Autumn has just arrived in Mustang, north of the Annapurna range in Nepal, and it’s already cold enough for our toes to curl up inside our shoes. To the west, behind the mountains high enough to halt the last clouds in their paths, lies Tibet, beyond the modern Nepal-China border. In the silence of these towering mountains where clouds come to die, Tsering’s 60 yaks grunt in symphony, the steam from their nostrils leaving behind a vapor trail in the cold air.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 21, 2024-Ausgabe von Mint Mumbai.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 9.500 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 21, 2024-Ausgabe von Mint Mumbai.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 9.500 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

WEITERE ARTIKEL AUS MINT MUMBAIAlle anzeigen
Hemamalini Maiya Plated Stories
Mint Mumbai

Hemamalini Maiya Plated Stories

Maiya has added many landmarks to the business, helping expand the single, stand-alone restaurant to 17 locations

time-read
7 Minuten  |
June 21, 2025
The Rugby League's USP Is Its Brevity
Mint Mumbai

The Rugby League's USP Is Its Brevity

While many sports leagues have stuttered, rugby league's organisers believe there's some business sense to it

time-read
6 Minuten  |
June 21, 2025
Mixtapes were a labour of love
Mint Mumbai

Mixtapes were a labour of love

The mixtape was the most personal body of music we could construct where each song carried meaning even the singer never intended

time-read
5 Minuten  |
June 21, 2025
Tata Motors Eyes Rare Earth Magnet Sources, Has Enough Stocks
Mint Mumbai

Tata Motors Eyes Rare Earth Magnet Sources, Has Enough Stocks

Tata Motors is among businesses affected by China's export curbs on rare earth magnets

time-read
2 Minuten  |
June 21, 2025
Mint Mumbai

Core Sector Growth at Its Slowest in 9 Months

Output expands 0.7% in May; only refinery products, steel & cement grow

time-read
2 Minuten  |
June 21, 2025
Memes are changing how we talk IRL
Mint Mumbai

Memes are changing how we talk IRL

Conversations in the real world are beginning to mirror social media

time-read
4 Minuten  |
June 21, 2025
Mint Mumbai

The rise of matcha bars

In the past year, there's been a proliferation of boba tea brands and matcha bars.

time-read
2 Minuten  |
June 21, 2025
OneWeb, Jio get satellite internet trial extension
Mint Mumbai

OneWeb, Jio get satellite internet trial extension

OneWeb was the first satellite communications firm to receive the GMPCS licence from the DoT in April 2022

time-read
2 Minuten  |
June 21, 2025
HAL Bags ISRO's Rocket Arm Sale But Is It Privatization?
Mint Mumbai

HAL Bags ISRO's Rocket Arm Sale But Is It Privatization?

Questions have been raised as HAL is a public sector firm overseen by the defence ministry

time-read
3 Minuten  |
June 21, 2025
Mint Mumbai

Nifty, Sensex End Three-Day Slide, But Caution Prevails

The Nifty 50 finally broke past the 25,000-mark on Friday, a level that had acted as a key resistance

time-read
1 min  |
June 21, 2025

Wir verwenden Cookies, um unsere Dienste bereitzustellen und zu verbessern. Durch die Nutzung unserer Website stimmen Sie zu, dass die Cookies gesetzt werden. Learn more