Latest news with #Yak
RNZ News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Film follows paraplegic former kayak instructor's journey
A new film Riverbound - The story has just begun follows a former professional kayak instructor, now paraplegic, as he takes to the water for the first time since an accident left him paralysed from the waist down. The subject of the film, known simply as "Yak", had his life-changing accident six years ago. The twelve minute short shows him packrafting through wild rapids on the Upper Buller Gorge with a big smile beamed across his face as he takes to the water once again. The film has its world premiere and is a finalist at the NZ Mountain Film Festival in Wanaka, Queenstown in June, and online throughout July. Kathryn is joined by filmmakers Deane Parker and Dylan Gerschwitz, plus Yak himself, to tell us about the wild ride he's been on. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Researchers of 4 ICAR institutions unlock Indian yak's genetic secrets
Guwahati: In a significant advancement for yak genomic science, the first-ever chromosome-level genome of the Indian yak (Bos grunniens) was successfully assembled through a collaborative effort involving four Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) report that this achievement represents a milestone with the potential to transform yak breeding programmes , conservation strategies and scientific understanding of this species' genetic intricacies and its ecological role in the Himalayan assembly was conducted under the leadership of Dr Martina Pukhrambam, Dr Vijay Paul and Dr Mihir Sarkar, director, ICAR-NRC on Yak (Dirang, Arunachal Pradesh), with research teams from ICAR-IIAB (Ranchi) and ICAR-CIRC (Meerut) led by their directors Dr Sujay Rakshit and Dr AK Mohanty, alongside Dr YG Prasad and his colleagues at ICAR-CICR (Nagpur). This project was supported by ICAR-NEH to the scientists, the outcomes of this study are anticipated to play a crucial role in identifying and preserving genetically diverse yak populations, enhancing desirable traits such as milk yield and disease resistance, elucidating the genetic mechanisms behind the yak's unique adaptation to harsh environments, and providing insights into the evolution and adaptation of other bovine species. The genome assembly is now publicly available to the wider scientific community to encourage collaboration and accelerate further research into this unique Mihir Sarkar, director, ICAR-NRC on Yak, Dirang in Arunachal Pradesh, described the development as "a major breakthrough for yak research ," highlighting the importance of utilising these findings for conservation and sustainable development. Dr Martina Pukhrambam, Scientist and project lead, said the value of this genome resource in developing targeted breeding programmes and identifying genetic markers for cold tolerance, disease resistance, and increased milk production with much greater precision, thereby supporting the long-term sustainability of yak populations and contributing positively to the livelihoods of yak Indian yak is an essential component of high-altitude communities' livelihoods, providing meat, milk, and transport, while demonstrating remarkable resilience to extreme climatic conditions. Populations occur in Ladakh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh, but face ongoing difficulties including shrinking grazing areas, climatic shifts, diseases, and genetic research team utilised cutting-edge long-read sequencing technology and bioinformatics tools to generate the chromosome-level assembly, which maps the genes to their specific locations on the chromosomes, offering a significantly clear and comprehensive Sujay Rakshit, director, ICAR-IIAB, Ranchi, commented that this collaboration shows a unique opportunity to utilise the budget earmarked for NEH for devoting targeted development of commodities of importance for NEH. Furthermore, he also added that comparative genomics between other bovine species with the generated data will open up allele mining for useful genes contributing to biotic and abiotic stresses and quality availability of a detailed genome is expected to benefit both scientific research and local livestock management practices. "With this genome, we can better understand how to sustain yak populations, which are critical to both biodiversity and rural economies in the Himalayas," said Dr AK Mohanty, director, ICAR-CIRC, Meerut.
The Hindu
14-05-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
Himalayan leap for yak genomic science
Specialists from four institutions of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) have assembled the first-ever chromosome-level genome of the Indian yak. The Indian yak (Bos grunniens), often called the 'ship of the Himalayas', is an integral part of the economy of high-altitude dwellers, who depend on it for meat, milk, and transportation. The bovine animal has long been recognised for its resilience and adaptability to extreme conditions. Mihir Sarkar, the director of ICAR-National Research Centre on Yak in Arunachal Pradesh's Dirang, said the 'leap for yak genomic science' marks a significant milestone that promises to revolutionise yak breeding programmes, conservation efforts, and the understanding of the genetic complexities of this vital species and its ecological role in the Himalayan landscape. Along with Martina Pukhrambam and Vijay Paul, he led the genomic research for the ICAR-NRC on Yak. Sujay Rakshit, A.K. Mohanty, and Y.G. Prasad, the directors of the Ranchi-based ICAR-Indian Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, the Meerut-based ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Cattle, and the Nagpur-based ICAR-CIRC, led their respective research teams for the project. The research team utilised cutting-edge long-read sequencing technology and bioinformatics tools to generate the chromosome-level assembly, which maps the genes to their specific locations on the chromosomes, offering a significantly clearer and comprehensive picture. 'A comparative genomics between other bovine species with the generated data will open up allele mining for useful genes contributing to biotic and abiotic stresses and quality traits. The availability of a detailed genome is expected to benefit scientific research and local livestock management practices,' Dr. Rakshit said. 'With this genome, we can better understand how to sustain yak populations across the Himalayan belt,' Dr. Mohanty said. Dr. Sarkar underscored the need for a concerted effort to translate these findings into practice, especially in conservation and sustainable development. 'This resource will be invaluable for identifying genetic markers for traits like cold tolerance, disease resistance, and milk production with much greater precision, which will ensure the long-term sustainability of yak populations and ultimately lead to the socio-economic uplift of yak herders,' Dr. Pukhrambam said. In India, yaks are found above 7,000 feet in Ladakh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh. They face numerous challenges, including reduced grazing area, climate change, disease, and genetic erosion.
RNZ News
01-05-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Park your plane at home in Te Kōwhai residential airpark
An artist's impression of a house at Te Kōwhai Airpark with a Cessna 172 parked in front. Photo: Supplied Dan Readman begun learning to fly at Te Kōwhai when he was 13-years-old. "The runway was first established around 1967 by Max Clear who was a farmer but also a passionate aviation enthusiast," Readman said. "He built several aeroplanes onsite and developed a certified Microlight called the Bantam which he produced onsite. "My father Barry was also a passionate aviation enthusiast and went to meet Max Clear and purchased the seventh aeroplane Max ever built," he said. Readman went on to become an aeroplane pilot for Air New Zealand and owns a small Russian Yak for personal flying. He was a part of bringing Te Kōwhai Airpark to reality and said he would build his own house within the community. "Our concept was to not just have an airport where an aeroplane would be put into a hanger and the pilot drives home, it was a way of having your home and your aeroplane all on site with like-minded people and actually living in that community," Readman said. Dan Readman learned to fly at Te Kōwhai. Now he wants to build a home in a new airpark being built there. Photo: Supplied. Fifty-eight sections, each with its own hanger, are available at this stage with more to follow as the development grows. These cost anywhere from under $1 million to nearly $3m, and 11 had already sold or were under contract. However, having your neighbour's plane taxi past your kitchen and take off over your swimming pool might not be for everyone. Peter Gore lived near the development and said there was a lot of community concern around the project when it was first proposed. He blamed Waikato District Council for feeding early backlash to the airpark and said he felt the council begun consulting with the public on the airpark before it really understood the proposal itself. "That just drives speculation, rumour, and creates a whole lot of noise, and then the communities get revved up and next thing you are making submissions," he said. Gore was worried at the time the aerodrome would become more like a commercial airport and he submitted against the proposal. "I get what they are doing now and I'm actually quite happy with what's being proposed," he said. Gore said he didn't hear anyone in the community worrying about the airpark anymore. Waikato District Councillor Eugene Patterson said doing something new wasn't easy, and getting through the consenting and zoning requirements had taken almost a decade. "It probably has had challenges in the earlier days - just people understanding how this works and what we were trying to achieve. "But we got there - it has taken a bit of time - but we got there." There were limitations on movements and aircraft noise, but Readman said people who were passionate about aviation often weren't as bothered by aircraft noises as others might be. Andrew Vincent worked for Forsters Development, which was part of the joint venture building the airpark. Andrew Vincent from Forsters Development, which is part of the joint venture building the airpark at Te Kōwhai. Photo: Libby Kirkby-McLeod He said having a neighbourhood where an aeroplane hangar and taxiway were standard mod-cons, wasn't as novel an idea as it might first appear. "It's a new concept for New Zealand but not new for other parts of the world." For example, airpark communities are common in America and Europe. "Some of the partners actually went and visited a lot of these developments in America and got a few ideas - what to do and not to do in some of them, and brought those ideas back here," Vincent said. Readman was on that trip and said the most successful airparks were ones that had a strong sense of community. Patterson said the airpark was a pioneering idea, and the council was focused on bringing this kind of innovation to Waikato. "If you are into aviation and that, to be able to fly in and down to the runway and be able to taxi down the road and into your backyard is something pretty unique." He said it was an exciting development for the council and the district as a whole and didn't believe there was a better location then Te Kōwhai for easy aviation access to the best of the North Island. Vincent agreed. "We are so fortunate with how close everything is when you start flying as the crow flies. We're 20 minutes to Coromandel, probably five minutes over the hill to Raglan," he said. Work had begun on site and the first residents, including Readman, hoped to have moved in in about two years' time.
