The yak is a long-haired species of Bovidae living throughout high-altitude areas that began to be domesticated approximately 10,000 years ago. Even though the yak originates from the Tibetan Plateau, it has spread among the Greater Central Asia uplands. These animals not only are intrinsically interrelated with the territory that they live in and its traditions, but also provide humans with essential services to successfully survive in such challenging environments. People living in high-altitude ecosystems have to deal with geographic remoteness and extreme climatic conditions, in addition to social marginalization, especially in relation to urban areas. During the last two centuries, yak herders went from being regionally prominent to becoming nationally marginal. At the same time, mountain areas started being conceived as massive “natural resource supply providers”, with fresh water being the most valuable product. The many qualities of yak have attracted the attention of researchers, scientists and business investors. The first research group on yak was established in 1978 in China, whereas the first International Conference on Yak was celebrated in Lanzhou in 1994, supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development and the International Livestock Research Institute. Since then, the International Yak Information Center Conference, the major event at the global level on yak-related issues, has been hosted at Lanzhou