High altitude animal husbandry and the Thakalis of Thak Khola: Biology and trade in the Himalays

A successful system of animal husbandry is the critical element in maintaining a successful trading system in an area with poor transportation, such as the Himalayas. Although the author has argued elsewhere that access to pack animals and plentiful pasture land gave the Thakalis an advantage over neighbouring groups in establishing themselves as the major trading group in central Nepal, his stress has been on economic and structural factors in the Thakalis' adaptation to life as traders. In this article, the author would like to change emphasis and discuss some of the biological and biosocial elements of that adaptation, as well as mention some of the special features of Thakali high altitude  husbandry.