Cattle Hybrids Among the Sherpa of Nepal

Abstract

The geographic distribution of cattle species in the Nepal Himalaya is not uniform. Rather, as in other mountainous regions of the world, an altitudinal zonation of cattle is to be found in the Himalaya. While the broad outlines of such zonation can be attributed to the contrasting abilities of different bovine species to survive at different elevations, certain bovine distributions may result from cultural perceptions of cattle resources. This study focuses on the ecological patterns of high-altitude bovine resources among the Sherpa of Nepal's eastern Himalaya.