A dead yak has drawn the crowd. Vultures aren't famous for their table manners. The vultures do well here, as the vast Tibetan wilderness is home to many large creatures.

 

Living in herds of up to 200 in the remoter corners of the Tibetan Plateau, wild yaks travel large distances, grazing on the alpine tundra.Strong and secure over mountain passes and rivers, the yak is in its element at altitude. So much so that it gets sick if it goes below 3000 meters. 

 

Standing two meters tall at the shoulder and weighing more than 800 kiloes, the wild yak is both formidable and aggressive. But without this fearsome creature, it's unlikely that humans would have survived up here. Once domesticated, the yak is an amazing animal, providing the Tibetans with transport, food, water, wool for cloth and tents, and manure for fuel.It's held in such higher regard that its fur is even used to decorate the sacred prayer flag poles. And yak butter is used as an offering to the Gods.