300 Himalayan Yaks Die of Starvation in Sikkim4Photo© thequint.com

300 Himalayan Yaks Die of Starvation in Sikkim

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At least 300 rare Himalayan yaks have died of starvation in the high mountains in the northeastern Indian state of Sikkim, close to the border with China, authorities said Saturday, 11 May 2019.

A team of local administrators and veterinarians visiting the heights of Muguthang and Yumthang in northern Sikkim discovered the animals' corpses on Friday, said government official Raj Yadav. He said the semi-domesticated animals became trapped in December after their passage to the nearest village got blocked due to heavy snowfall.

Yadav said authorities tried several times to drop feed for the yaks by helicopter but failed due to inclement weather. "The passage was cleared five days ago, after which our team trekked to the area to discover the tragedy," he said.