Yak Killing Hornets Discovered
Posted on April 7, 2006
A scientific exploration of the Mount Everest and the Himalaya mountain range has yielded some interesting animal and insect finds. The discoveries include huge hornets (2-inches long) that locals refer to as "yak killers." The venom from the hornet's stinger can dissolve human tissue and is strong enough to kill a Yak. Disturbing a nest of these could be a fatal mistake. A LiveScience.com article explains the trip and some of the discoveries.
Mount Everest and the Himalaya mountain range conjure images of yaks and Sherpas loaded with heavy packs. But tucked into the cold shadows of the world's tallest mountain are biologically diverse hotspots filled with poorly known plants and animals found nowhere else on the globe.Some of the other finds include blue-faced golden monkeys, red pandas, yeti mice, pikas and several new frog and ant species. LiveScience.com provides a gallery of some of the creatures to go along with their article.Scientists from Conservation International and Disney's Animal Kingdom recently launched a two-month scientific expedition into six regions of the Tibetan "Sacred Lands" in the mountains of Southwest China and Nepal.
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