(upbeat music)
- Letters of the alphabet, why is for yak?
(dramatic music)
If you thought that this was a cow, you'd be wrong.
It's a yak, an animal found in some parts of Asia.
There are two types of yak, the domestic yak,
and its closest relative, the wild yak.
It's estimated that domestic yaks number about 12 million,
and the wild yak, around 15,000, for even less.
If you wanna know how big a yak is,
they're more or less the same size as a cow,
and could easily be recognized by their bull-like horns,
and a really thick coat to protect them
against the bitter cold.
The wild yak is much bigger than the domestic yak.
(dramatic music)
A group of female yaks with their young is called a herd.
Adult males spend most of the year in groups of up to 12.
The female generally gives birth around June,
and a single calf is born every other year.
(dramatic music)
The yak is an animal that loves being in an icy cold climate,
and prefers to stay in areas which are very high
with permanent snow.
They usually travel in single file,
carefully treading on footprints left by the leader,
and so avoid falling from the narrow trails
into the deep valleys below.
The wild yak inhabits remote areas of the Tibetan plateau,
and nearby highlands of China, India, and Bhutan.
Yaks feed on grasses, shrubs, and herbs.
When they're thirsty, there's always enough water around.
They either eat snow or drink from mountain strings and rivers.
Like cows, yaks are useful animals,
and provide meal, meat, butter, and cheese.
Their hide, or skin, is used to make clothes and blankets.
These yaks were filmed taking a group of climbers up Mount Everest.
One can safely assume that it would be very difficult
to climb mountains in these areas without the help of the Sherpas,
the local people who accompany foreign climbers up the mountain,
and their faithful yaks.
The yak is one of the animals that is officially protected in China,
but taking the remote areas where they're found,
it's not easy to enforce these laws
and poaching remains a big threat to the wild yak.
Listen to this.
Yaks work very hard.
They carry heavy loads over long distances.
After many hours of hard work,
what better reward than a juicy patch of grass
or bale of hay to munch on?
Here are some other words that begin with why.
Can you think of any others?
Yellow.
Yum.
Lawn.
Yesterday.
[Music]
[Music]
[Music]
[Music]
[Music]
[Music]
[Music]
[Music]
[Music]
[Music]
Letters of the alphabet.
Z is for zebra.
[Music]
[Music]
Of all the animals in the horse family,
which includes horses and wild *****,
the zebra is the most decorative.
[Music]
It's easily noticeable by its striking pattern of black
or dark brown and white stripes.
[Music]
These are narrow over most of its body,
but get broader over its rump.
[Music]
It has a short upright mane and tufted tail.
[Music]
They're found on open plains or in lightly wooded areas
where their markings blend into the surroundings,
making for good camouflage.
[Music]
[Music]
[Music]
They often graze with antelope such as
wildebeest, kudu, and pala, and yala,
and sometimes even with buffalo herds.
And all these animals seem to depend on the zebra
to be their lookout and to warn them in good time
if danger is near.
[Music]
Zebra feed on whatever available grasses they can find,
and with their large barrel shaped bodies,
they're able to hold a very large amount of food.
[Music]
They live in stable family groups of up to 17 animals,
which are headed by a single male, which is called a stallion.
[Music]
Members of the zebra family recognize each other by sight,
as the striped pattern of a zebra is as distinctive
as a human fingerprint.
They also recognize each other by voice and smell.
[Music]
They need to drink a lot of water,
and will congregate in their hundreds to go and search for it.
[Music]
Zebra's are fast on their feet,
and are capable of reaching speeds up to 40 miles per hour.
This ability comes in handy when being chased by a predator
such as a hyena or lion.
[Music]
Their main defenses in these situations are their strong jaws
and their powerful hind legs,
which they use to bite and kick away their attackers.
[Music]
Even though the zebra continues to be hunted for their flesh and skins,
there are still many among the plains where they live.
[Music]
Listen to this.
It's still a mystery why the zebra has a striped pattern
across its body.
It may be a way of confusing predators because as they scatter,
the stripes on their bodies blur,
making it difficult to identify a single animal.
[Music]
Z is a funny letter.
It rarely starts a word.
It usually comes in the middle or at the end of a word.
Here are some. Can you think of any others?
Zoo.
Zipper.
Buzz.
Dizzy.
[Music]
[Music]
[Music]
[Music]
[Music]