This animal defies all the laws of biology. The yak is a 1,000-kilogram giant that lives in places where it's impossible to breathe, but dies in a mere 15°C (59°F) heat wave. Think it's just a hairy cow? Wrong. They grunt instead of moo, fight on the very edge of a precipice, and are capable of single-handedly trampling a snow leopard. In this issue: Why do yaks have "black" blood, and how does it work as a doping agent? Why do bulls toss their enemies into the air? The secret of butter that lasts a year without refrigeration. And why are these kings of the mountains, who survived the Ice Age, now disappearing.