Dzho

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A sturdy hybrid animal bred from a yak and a domestic cow, used as a beast of burden in the Himalayan regions
2. A cross between a yak and a domestic cattle, valued in high mountain areas for carrying loads and providing milk
3. An animal produced by crossbreeding yaks with cows, commonly kept by herders in the mountains of Central Asia and Nepal

Etymology: "Dzo" (also spelled "dzho") is a hybrid animal, the offspring of a male yak and a female domestic cow, or the reverse cross, and it is the term used across the Himalayan region and Tibet. The word comes from Tibetan "mdzo", and the spelling "dzho" is simply an alternative transliteration of the same term, with no difference in meaning. The animals are prized in high-altitude communities because they combine traits of both parents. Dzo generally carry more milk and more usable meat than yaks, and they tolerate lower altitudes better than pure yaks, while still handling cold and rough terrain. Male hybrids are typically sterile, so herders must keep breeding stock going by crossing again with a parent species.