Mahindra & Mahindra Limited flagged off the ‘Save the Yak’ expedition from Mumbai. A collaboration between M&M and the Himalayan Explorers, a group of motorsports enthusiasts from Nagpur, the expedition is a unique, first of its kind initiative which aims to save the Yak, a endangered species found in the Himalayas.
This exciting expedition aims to stem the diminishing numbers of the Yak which is already extinct in regions such as Nepal and Bhutan. A Scorpio SUV and two Scorpio Getaway vehicles will take on the 16,000 km trail through the most treacherous roads of the mighty Himalayas. Once complete, this unique mission will be the first Trans-Himalayan expedition to be completed at one stretch by any motoring organisation.
The expedition, which was flagged off from Mahindra’s automotive plant at Kandivali, will travel through Kibtu (Arunachal Pradesh), Ladakh via Bhutan, Sikkim, Nepal, Uttaranchal, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. En route, the convoy will advocate conservation of the Yak amongst Highlanders, while teaching them various scientific methods of Yak breeding and management.
Mahindra Adventure is a recently launched initiative and aims to demonstrate the tough and rugged DNA of Mahindra vehicles through various motor sports.
The Yak, which is a long-haired bovine found throughout the Himalayan region of South Central Asia, the Tibetan Plateau and as far north as Mongolia and Russia, is an endangered species with only 65,000 left in India. Its habitat comprises of treeless uplands such as hills, mountains and plateaus between 3,200 and 5,400 m (10,000 and 18,000 ft). Yak physiology is well adapted to high altitudes, as the animal has larger lungs and heart than cattle found at lower altitudes, as well as a greater capacity for transporting oxygen through its blood. Conversely, Yaks do not thrive at lower altitudes.