Located on the east of Qilianshan Mountain and on the border of Gansu and Qinghai provinces, Tianzhu Tibetan Autonomous County is the only protection area in the world for precious white yak. According to the latest statistics from the local animal husbandry department, their numbers have reached a record high of 41,500.

Two herdsmen drove a white yak in Tianzhu Tibetan Autonomous County, Gansu Province February 23, 2009.

The white yak is mainly to be found on cold alpine grassland at an altitude of over 3,000 meters in Tianzhu. As a valuable species domesticated in a special ecological environment, it is listed as one of the 78 livestock varieties enjoying priority protection.

The white yak has high economic value but a low rate of breeding. According to Zhang Haiming, a senior livestock technician of the Tianzhu White Yak Breeding Farm, white yak has a long history, but 30 years ago its number had dropped to 20,000. In 1980 Tianzhu began a breeding program and set up a special conservation institute, and since then the number of white yak has seen a big increase.

A local herdsman, Jiazhuoma Dongzhu, said: "Every year the government gives me about 10,000 yuan for forage subsidy and provides high quality grass seed for free. I also receive at least two training sessions each year in conservation and breeding. Grassland enclosures and warm sheds are also provided by the government."

Jiazhuoma has concentrated on raising white yak since 2000, and has built up his herd from 30 to 100 head. His yaks have pure white fur and his is listed as one of the core herds in Tianzhu. These meet the full standard specification for the species criteria and their owners can enjoy the benefits of a series of governmental subsidies aimed at protecting the purity of white yak.

In recent years, Tianzhu County has adopted advanced technologies in embryo transfer and frozen sperm conservation to increase the propagation rate. As the white yak industry gradually booms, many farms in neighboring Qinghai, Xinjiang and Tibet are also introducing the white yak for breeding.

(China.org.cn by Zhou Jing, February 26, 2009)