Low breeding, problem of survival of the young, inadequate recruitment of fawns to adulthood, predatory animals etc could be contributing to the falling Hangul population.

Along with the much-loved tourist spots such as Dal Lake with its breathtaking scenery, Kashmir is also famous for a few other things. One of them is the Kashmir Deer known as the Hangul.

The Kashmir Deer or Hangul Cervus Elaphus Hanglu, a critically endangered deer, is one of the four eastern-most sub-species of Red Deer found in Asia. It is endemic to the mountains of Kashmir in the north-western Himalayan region of India. At present, the only viable Hangul population is confined to the 141 sq. km Dachigam National Park, along with some Hangul herds in the adjoining protected areas.

Latest surveys indicate that the population of Hangul population has come down to 140-170. A majority of them are found in Dachigam, with isolated Hangul present in Brien-Nishat, Cheshmashahi Forest Reserve, Khrew, Khanagund, Shikargah and Overa Wildlife Sanctuary.

Experts say that the species could go extinct if the necessary serious interventions are not staged immediately. “The decline in Hangul population is due to number of reasons,” says Khursheed Ahmad, who teaches and researches wildlife management at the S.K. University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir.

"These can be classified as low breeding, femalebiased sex ratio, problem of survival of the young, inadequate recruitment of fawns to adulthood due to factors such as considerable predation by Leopard Panthera and Asiatic Black Bear, poaching and continued degradation of Hangul summer habitats in upper Dachigam, along with biotic interference in winter habitats, and the movements of Hangul in summer to unprotected areas in Sindh Forest Division outside Dachigam NP and the excessive biotic interferences therein."

Ahmad says that an intensive population monitoring programme, studies of the reproductive ecology and movement patterns of the Hangul, and health monitoring to understand the factors affecting the population growth and biology and other aspects of Hangul ecology are required for effective management and long term conservation.

“There is an urgent need for a Hangul recovery plan to be developed,” Ahmad says. “The same should include field surveys to identify corridors to help dispersion and reintroduction of Hangul to its former distribution range and habitat protection in upper Dachigam and other potential Hangul habitats outside Dachigam. A captive breeding plan for the Hangul is important to repopulate existing good habitats in the Hangul range, beginning with the Shikargah-Overa ranges in Lidder Valley.”

The estimated population of Hangul in Kashmir in 1900 was 3,000-5,000 and in 1947, there were 2,000 Hangul still surviving. Ten years later, the population drastically came down to 400 while estimates between 1969 and 1970 suggest that not more than 180 Hangul were present.

The estimated population of Hangul in Kashmir in 1900 was 3,000-5,000 and in 1947, there were 2,000 Hangul still surviving. Ten years later, the population drastically came down to 400 while estimates between 1969 and 1970 suggest that not more than 180 Hangul were present.

In 2004, the Hangul population was estimated to be between 146 and 249, with a mean of 197 animals. In 2006, the Hangul population was estimated to be between 117 and 190 animals, with a mean of 153 animals, whereas in 2008 the population estimatesturned out to be in between 170-190.

“In Dachigam National Park, during February 2001 to December 2004, a total of 326 Hangul sightings were recorded,” Ahmad says.

“Maximum Hangul sightings (101) were recorded in winter, followed by 85 Hangul sightings each in spring and autumn. During summer, only 55 Hangul sightings were recorded.”

Social structure, distribution and movement patterns of Hangul in Dachigam National Park are closely associated with the season, topography and changing vegetation and biotic interference patterns over the seasons.

In the latter half of winter and early spring, i.e., between February and May, there is fresh growth of grasses, herbs, sedges and dwarf shrubs, and flowering of trees, resulting in the Hangul herds descending from higher to lower elevations, and congregating in the ravines, as the mountain peaks surrounding thepark remain under snow cover. In contrast, in summer, the Hangul remain dispersed at higher altitudes moving even outside the park.

Experts say that the replacement of the natural vegetation in the forest corridors in the valley with cultivated plants along roadsides, stream sides, and in orchards could be driving the animals away. In North Kashmir’s Gurez area, some isolated Hangul have also been found. This population might possibly be the only resident western population of Hangul in its erstwhile distribution range.