A threatened way of lifeHerder Kunzang Angmo has seen the changes up close.“Earlier, there were a lot of yaks, but now there aren’t as many,” she says. “It used to snow a lot before, but now the snowfall is decreasing, and due to less water, we have less grass available.”Generations of Tsering Angchok’s family have relied on yaks, but the number of herders in the area is dropping.“We get everything from the yak—food, milk, clothing, butter, cheese, meat, wool, even dung,” says the 75-year-old who has 80 yaks. “Nothing goes to waste. We and our ancestors have grown up living on all of this.”As weather patterns change, native vegetation is being crowded out by less nourishing shrubs and weeds, according to researchers. Herders say grazing lands are becoming smaller.Thering Norphel, a 70-year-old former yak herder, remembers when pastures had more vegetation and life with yaks was easier.“When I was younger, there was more grass, more water and more wildlife,” he says. Pointing to bare mountains in the distance, he said: “Earlier, all those mountains were filled with snow. Now it’s just rock. As there is no snow or ice, there is less water. This affects the growth of grass that yaks feed on.”
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