Bhutan Declared 23 October National Yak Day As Regional Herders’ Network Launched

Bhutan launched a regional yak herders’ network at the Royal Highland Festival, connecting communities from Bhutan, India and Nepal.

Bhutan has declared 23 October as National Yak Day, giving annual national recognition to the yak, the highland communities that depend on it and the cultural and ecological knowledge associated with pastoral life.

King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck announced the commemorative day during the ninth Royal Highland Festival in Laya on 23 October 2026. The festival also hosted the launch of the Himalayan Yak Herders’ Network, the first regional platform connecting yak-herding organisations from Bhutan, India and Nepal.

During his visit, the King granted residential land to 57 households from the highland communities of Soe, Lingzhi and Tsento.

Royal Highland Festival 2026 At A Glance

Bhutan Establishes National Yak Day

The declaration of 23 October as National Yak Day creates an annual occasion to recognise the role of yaks and their herders in Bhutan’s highland regions.

Yaks provide milk, meat, fibre, manure and transport in environments where other forms of agriculture are difficult. They are also closely connected to the food, clothing, trade, seasonal movements and cultural practices of Bhutan’s high-altitude communities.

The day is intended to acknowledge the generations of herders whose knowledge has sustained yak pastoralism and helped manage mountain rangelands.

National Yak Day falls on the opening day of the Royal Highland Festival, which is held annually on 23 and 24 October. Connecting the observance with the festival places the lives and concerns of highland communities within a national programme rather than treating the yak only as a cultural symbol.

The declaration does not establish a public holiday. It creates a national commemorative day that can be used for education, research, conservation and public discussion about yak-based livelihoods and the condition of Bhutan’s rangelands.

Recognition During A Global Year For Pastoralists

The declaration carries additional significance because the United Nations designated 2026 as the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists.

The international observance draws attention to the importance of grazing landscapes and the communities whose livelihoods depend on them. Rangelands support livestock production, biodiversity, water systems and the cultures of pastoral communities in many parts of the world.

For Bhutan, National Yak Day provides a recurring opportunity to contribute its experience to international discussions about mountain pastoralism. It can also draw attention to the links between healthy rangelands, livestock management, cultural heritage and the economic security of highland households.

The declaration comes as yak-herding communities face pressures from changing weather patterns, deteriorating grazing areas, wildlife attacks and the departure of young people from remote settlements.

Its longer-term value will depend on whether annual recognition is accompanied by practical support for herders, livestock health, pasture management, market access and the transfer of knowledge to younger generations.

A Festival Focused On Highland Communities

The two-day festival was held at Langothang in Laya, a high-altitude settlement in Gasa district in northwestern Bhutan.

Rows of yak-hair tents surrounded the festival grounds, where visitors sampled food produced by highland communities and browsed locally made products. The programme included traditional songs and dances, community games, animal shows and horse racing.

The festival was established in 2016 at the King’s direction to promote highland culture and strengthen local livelihoods. It has since attracted Bhutanese and international visitors, many of whom stay in local homestays while visiting Laya.

The gathering provides communities with a market for livestock products, textiles, food and other goods. It also creates a national platform for discussing the practical challenges affecting people who depend on yaks and mountain rangelands.

Daily Bhutan has previously explored the identities and livelihoods of Bhutan’s highland communities, whose settlements extend across some of the country’s most remote northern areas.

A Regional Network Nearly A Decade In The Making

The Himalayan Yak Herders’ Network brings together the Bhutan Yak Federation, the Yak and Chauri Farmers Federation Nepal and the Yak Federation of India. Bhutan will host the network’s secretariat.

The initiative emerged from regional cooperation that began in 2016. Herder representatives subsequently exchanged knowledge with pastoral organisations outside the Himalayan region, while national yak federations were established in Bhutan in 2022, Nepal in 2023 and India in 2025.

The regional network will be led by herders and is intended to support advocacy, training, research and the exchange of practical knowledge. Its priorities include sustainable livestock management, improved grazing practices, the conservation of yak breeds and stronger market opportunities for herder communities.

The initiative was organised with the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, Bhutan’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and Yak Federation of Bhutan.

Highland Challenges Cross National Borders

Yak-herding communities across the Himalayas face many of the same pressures. These include the degradation and loss of grazing land, changing seasonal weather patterns, animal diseases, reduced genetic diversity and limited access to services and markets.

Wildlife attacks are another concern. Herders in Laya have reported frequent bear attacks on livestock, particularly calves, as well as growing worries about human safety.

In eastern Bhutan, herders from Merak and Sakteng have observed changes in the timing and elevation of seasonal livestock movements. Warmer and less predictable conditions can require animals to be taken to higher grazing areas or moved later than in previous years.

Outmigration also affects the future of yak herding. When younger residents leave highland settlements for education and employment elsewhere, fewer people remain to manage livestock and maintain the knowledge associated with mountain pastoralism.

The new network cannot resolve these issues immediately. It can, however, give herders a regional structure through which to compare experiences, coordinate research and communicate their priorities to governments and development organisations.

Find out more about travelling to Merak and Sakteng.

Residential Land Granted To 57 Households

During the visit, the King granted Khimsa Kidu to 57 households from Soe, Lingzhi and Tsento.

Khimsa Kidu refers to residential land granted through Bhutan’s royal welfare system. For highland households, secure residential plots can provide a firmer legal foundation for homes and improve long-term security for families whose livelihoods depend on seasonal livestock movements.

The National Land Commission Secretariat carried out the surveying, verification and land-record procedures required for the grants.

Previous Khimsa Kidu grants have supported 800 households in the highland communities of Merak, Sakteng, Laya, Lunana, Barshong and Dagala.

Turning Recognition Into Long-Term Support

The three developments in Laya address different aspects of highland life.

National Yak Day provides lasting public recognition. The Himalayan Yak Herders’ Network creates a structure for regional cooperation. The residential land grants strengthen tenure security for Bhutanese highland families.

The festival remains a platform for presenting highland culture and products to a wider audience. Its broader importance, however, lies in whether that visibility contributes to viable livelihoods and stronger support for the communities maintaining Bhutan’s mountain landscapes.

National Yak Day will now return every 23 October. Its future relevance will be measured by the attention it brings to herders’ priorities, the condition of high-altitude rangelands and the ability of younger generations to continue yak-based pastoralism.