Why did you decide to focus the animal liberation project on yaks? What is their significance to the Tibetan people?

Our teacher, H.H. Chadral Rinpoche, taught us the importance of the Buddhist practice of animal liberation. For many years he has performed an annual fish liberation on the Ganges River in Kolkotta. He uses all the donations he receives over the course of the year for this purpose and so is able to purchase many truckloads of fish. A few times we had the great privilege of accompanying him and participating. We found it incredibly inspiring, a profound teaching on compassion in action.

In recent years we have been traveling to Tibet and noticed an alarming increase in the number of yaks being slaughtered. We would see truckload after truckload of yaks being taken out of eastern Tibet to slaughterhouses. Yaks have been a vital part of the lives of rural Tibetans for centuries – without them, life would not be possible for the nomadic families who roam the harsh Tibetan plains. Not only are they beloved icons of Tibetan culture, they play an integral role in the traditional Tibetan way of life and ecosystem of Tibet. To just watch them go by without being able to do anything about it was deeply saddening and frustrating.

So when we returned to Lama Palzang’s hometown of Barkham in Gyarong, we explored the possibility of yak liberation. Lama Palzang and his brother inquired with the local slaughterhouses about purchasing and we found it really was not complicated. Lama Palzang and his brother together organized the purchase of yaks. A few lamas were called to participate in the liberation ceremony and we found a site where they could be released. Many locals rejoiced in our efforts and were moved to do animal liberation of their own, as well as become vegetarians. So the success of our initial efforts made us realize this was something we could do easily in eastern Tibet and that it also had the power to influence others in positive ways. Saving these noble and gentle creatures has brought us more joy and satisfaction than we could have ever imagined.

Are the liberated yaks mainly domesticated or are they wild? How do they wind up at the slaughterhouse in the first place?

The yaks we liberate are domesticated. The females, known as dris, are used by their owners for their milk and when they become old and are no longer able to produce milk, they are sold. However, the males are often sold at a younger age as they don't have such value.

A truly wild yak, known as a drong, is a rare thing to be seen in Tibet nowadays - they are much more massive and have been hunted to near extinction. Lama Palzang would love nothing more than to see one in person, but unfortunately they only exist in certain remote parts of Tibet.

Why do you paint the horns of the liberated yaks red and yellow?  What do these colors symbolize . . . if anything?

We paint the horns to signify their release. The colors don't symbolize anything in particular but turned out to be an expedient way to warn people of their protected status.

Do the liberated yaks serve any practical purpose at the monastery or are they simply left to roam freely throughout the pastures? What is a typical day like for a liberated yak?

The yaks are simply left to roam the pastures. The females, as mentioned before, no longer produce milk, so there's no hope in the monastery benefiting by milking them. Nor does the monastery have any particular need to employ them for any other use.

How do the liberated yaks respond to one another?  Do they naturally adapt and form a herd?

It is quite a motley group we have amassed with not only yaks (male yaks), dris (their female counterparts), but also dzos (a cross between a yak and a cow), and cows and bulls. The animals graze the land together, not exactly in a herd, as they tend to congregate with their own kind.

If calves are born to the liberated yaks are their horns, too, painted red and yellow? 

Yes, but so far we have not yet had any yak born to our freed herd. That would be a most welcome development!

What is the ratio of liberated cows to bulls, and how is the choice made to free a specific yak? 

There is no particular ratio of cows to bulls as the numbers are always changing based on availability. We generally release all our yaks at one time of the year, in the late summer, and will try to buy all the yaks in the slaughterhouse on that day.  Sometimes we also buy a few yaks directly from individual sellers who are about to sell their animals to the slaughterhouse.

How many acres of land do the yak have to roam currently? Is this land owned by the monastery or by the Prajna Light Foundation? As the number of liberated yaks grows how do you intend to handle the increase in the liberated yak population?

The yaks roam in about fifty acres of pastureland owned by the monastery. The monastery does not use this land for any agricultural or other purpose. It is very supportive of our efforts so our growing herd will be allowed to freely roam this pasture land indefinitely. Eventually we would like to build a fence to enclose the area in which they roam; this would make the work of the caretaker considerably easier.

Are the majority of liberated yaks old?

No, they are both young and old. The females are often old because they no longer produce milk while the males can be young because they serve no purpose for their owners.

Healthy or ill?

They are generally healthy, though some are old. For example, sometimes we see yaks with broken or truncated horns (perhaps a result of accidents or fighting). It's unlikely that they would be slaughtering a yak that is known to be really sick.

Where does the yak go once it is liberated?

The yak is released into pasture lands near a monastery known as Tsamney Monastery in Barkham, a town in the Gyarong region of eastern Tibet. We have a salaried caretaker who watches them all day - he makes sure that all the yaks are still there after each day of grazing in the area designated for them by the monastery.

What care is given the animal if it gets sick? 

Unfortunately, Tibet has very few veterinarians, so when a yak gets sick it is difficult to get proper care. So far this has not been an issue for us. However, our caretaker looks after them and would have rudimentary skills in treating any injury.

Does the money go to the owner of the yak who is selling them to slaughter? 

We purchase the yaks directly from the slaughterhouse or the owner who we may intercept en route to sell the yak to the slaughterhouse. We have to pay whomever is in possession of that yak - whether that's the slaughterhouse or the original owner.

If the money is given to its current owner, what is there to say that they wouldn't turn around and sell it later?

Our yaks' horns are painted red and yellow to signify their release from slaughter. The community of Barkham is deeply devout and our activity has already inspired numerous families to become vegetarian and perform their own animal liberation, both of yaks and large amounts of fish. So it is unlikely that the local lay families would attempt to steal and slaughter our yaks. As mentioned before, the yaks are carefully being watched by our caretaker so that is the main insurance against their possible recapture and slaughter.

Finally, we have notified all the local slaughterhouses that our yaks' horns have been painted to signify their release and that we will hold them financially responsible in the unlikely and unfortunate event that they should slaughter one of our yaks. Generally, since Barkham is a small town and closely knit community where reputation matters, people would hesitate to do such a thing for fear of shame and other recriminations.

Can a group of people buy one liberation?

By all means, a group can buy one liberation. We will arrange a ceremony so that the merit is dedicated to all the individuals of that group.

Where in Tibet does this take place?

As mentioned before, it is in Barkham, a very quaint little town in the Gyarong region of eastern Tibet. Gyarong is the real home of the famous pandas of China, not Sichuan, as popularly believed.

How long does it take from your receiving a request and the yak being rescued and then the blessing ceremony?

At this time Prajna Light releases yaks once a year between the months of August and October, so generally all donations are put to use during that time. Many yaks are sold during this time as they have been fattened up after their summer long grazing.

The procedure for the yak release is as follows:  first the yak is purchased and led out of the slaughter house to a holding spot of nearby pasture land (this walk takes about a half hour) before being taken to their permanent resettlement to another pasture land high above the town of Barkham. 

At that first site, their horns are painted by several lamas to signify their release and then, several lamas perform an hour long blessing ceremony.

The names of the sponsors are read aloud at the end and the merit is dedicated to them, either generally for their well-being, or specifically, according to the wishes indicated by the sponsor (such as to remove certain obstacles, for example, of ailing health, the accidental taking of life of another creature, etc).

How Can I Help?

The cost to free a whole yak is based on their size and the current market price for their meat. The current rates for rescuing a yak from the slaughterhouse are:

1. Male Yak - $592 - $667
2. Female Yak (Dzo) - $915 - $1,096
3. Tibetan Ox - $355

Donors are encouraged to sponsor the rescue and release of a whole yak; however, a donation of any size will be received with gratitude and dedications of merit.

Please send your cash or check donations to:
Prajna Light Foundation
Mangalam Centers – Prajna Light office
2018 Allston Way - Berkeley, CA 94704

Please make your checks out to Prajna Light Foundation (please write “Save a Yak” on check memo).