00:00In the snowy mountains of Kyrgyzstan, a monument stands to Tashtanbek Akhmatov.
00:06He once bore the title Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, back when the country
00:11was part of the Union.
00:13Now 88 years old, with a hero of Kyrgyzstan and two hero of socialist labor medals pinned
00:18to his coat, Akhmatov is out of politics and in business, along with his son and grandsons.
00:24They are shepherds, they are prized livestock, white yaks.
00:33At some point, a white yak appeared, a male.
00:36We started keeping him with our yaks, and through selective breeding, white yaks appeared.
00:40A white yak calf was born, many yaks were bred from him.
00:45Now it's 2026, and we've had white yaks for over 10 years already.
00:50In traditionally nomadic Kyrgyzstan, yaks hold deep cultural significance.
00:55They're vital to life in the harsh climate of the Tianshan mountains.
00:59From yaks, people get milk and meat, as well as wool and leather for clothing, tools and
01:04shelter.
01:05White yaks are exceedingly rare, almost unheard of.
01:09Akhmatov's grandson, Amantur, rides out with the herd to check on them, though they mostly
01:14fend for themselves.
01:16Even at minus 40 degrees Celsius, they calmly walk in the mountains.
01:21As long as the snow hasn't fallen in a thick layer, we may not need to give them feed.
01:26They live in the mountains.
01:28Only the wolves torment them.
01:30We fight the wolves, defend ourselves, and sometimes shoot the wolves.
01:36Wolves are the only real threat to the yaks, which otherwise peacefully forage on the frozen
01:40grass buried in the snow.
01:43Protecting the herd takes daily vigilance.
01:47Every morning at six, I get up, look around the area near the house, and check whether
01:53there are any wolves.
01:54I try not to let them come too close.
01:58After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Kyrgyzstan's government launched subsidy programs to encourage
02:03yak breeding, which have paid off.
02:06Yak numbers have doubled since the 1990s, bringing prosperity to people in remote regions.
02:11But the country faces daunting challenges.
02:15A UN climate report says temperatures in Kyrgyzstan are rising at twice the global average.
02:21The yaks may prove resilient to the changes, which may be slow to reach the mountains.
02:26And the Akhmatovs are especially proud of their herd.
02:29They have applied for official recognition of their white yaks as a national breed, with
02:35eyes on the export market.
02:40We first went to officially establish that this is part of the Kyrgyz people's heritage,
02:45and register that this is a Kyrgyz yak.
02:47Only then will we grant permission for them to be sold.
02:51In three generations, the Akhmatov family has seen rising power, collapse, and regrowth.
02:58Remote as their place in the mountains may be, the changing world still impacts them.
03:04But for them and other families in the high mountains of Kyrgyzstan, stability and success
03:09come from their connection to the land, the animals, their traditions, and each other.
03:14James Lin and Jonathan Kaplan for Taiwan Plus.
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