Yara-python without Yara installed

I find the documentation on Yara-python and Yara contradictory.
Is it necessary to have Yara compiled and installed for Yara-python to work properly?

From Yara Docs:

YARA can be also used from Python through the yara-python library. Once the library is built and installed as described in Compiling and installing YARA you'll have access to the full potential of YARA from your Python scripts.

From Yara-python readme

With this library you can use YARA from your Python programs. It covers all YARA's features, from compiling, saving and loading rules to scanning files, strings and processes.

Personally I'm running Yara-python without Yara installed and I have not encountered any problems