An Animal In Distress

Hangul deer, ‘the symbol of Kashmir’s future’, will soon be extinct unless urgent action is taken

PEERZADA ARSHAD HAMID
Srinagar

ACENSUS OF the Kashmiri stag, known as the hangul, conducted by the State Wildlife Department and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in Dehradun has revealed a shocking drop in their numbers by 33 percent in four years. The census warns that the hangul, known for their majestic antlers and rich coat, are endangered. Among the world’s most threatened species, the hangul are the subcontinent’s only member of the European red deer family. The drop in their numbers is attributed to poaching, excessive grazing of livestock, predation and frequent forest fires for their sharp decline.

The hangul once freely roamed in the forests of the state. Early maps for hunters prepared by the erstwhile Maharaja, Hari Singh, show the hangul not only in Kashmir but in areas next to Himachal Pradesh, from Karen in the Kishenganga catchment to the Lolab valley in Kupwara, from Erin in Bandipora to Chamba district in Himachal Pradesh and through Baltal to Aru, Tral and Kishtwar.

Estimates from 1947 show the number of hangul to be at 2,000. However, they now struggle for existence in their last bastion — a restricted area of 141 sq km inside Dachigam National Park — a mountainous sanctuary located along the foothills of the majestic Zabarwan range on the outskirts of Srinagar. Hanguls were once the attraction of the Park and grazed there in their thousands some decades ago. By 1989, however, their numbers were estimated at 900; now, only a scant 160 remain.

“Kashmiri hangul are very significant because they are the only Asiatic members of the European red deer family. There is a dire need for the government to take the survey seriously as it indicates that if the current situation continues, there will soon be no more hangul in our jungles,” rues a wildlife official at Dachigam National Park in Srinagar.

The March 2006 Wildlife Department census estimated their numbers as between 117 and 197. For every 100 stags, there were 20 does with fawns. This was a decline from the 2004 census, which showed 23 does with fawns for every 100 stags. The ratio of does with fawns-to-stags is considered important as it indicates population trends.

Hangul, known for their magnificent antlers with up to 16 points, were categorised as endangered and listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red Data Book in 1996. Taking into account their current population, area of occupancy, fluctuations in the number of mature animals and the does with fawns-to- stags ratio, scientists have recommended their inclusion in IUCN’s critically endangered category.

In order to save the hangul from extinction, officials have devised a long-term captive breeding programme. Wildlife officials state that assent for this programme has been received from the Central Zoo Authority and that it is likely to start this year.

“The census figures are really shocking but the departmental plan for captive breeding has been approved by the central authority. We will soon implement it in the Shikargah conservation reserve in Tral, South Kashmir. We hope our efforts to save the hangul from extinction will work,” says Rashid Naqash, Wildlife Warden, Srinagar.

Following WII’s shocking revelations, a group of Kashmiri youth has come forward to pressurise the government and create awareness in order to save the endangered animal.

Calling hangul a “powerful symbol of the future of Kashmir”, the group has initiated the Save Hangul Campaign and initiated a signature campaign to mobilise the public.

“The survey is enough to set alarm bells ringing. We can’t wait for the government to act. It is the duty of the present generation to save our heritage or else our children will only find these fabulous animals in history books,” exhorts Nadeem Qadri, President of the Kashmir Geographic Eco-Cooperative Limited (KGECL).

Publicity material distributed by the Save Hangul Campaign states that 400 hangul were killed during the early 1990s, when insurgency made inroads into the valley.

Unless concrete steps are taken, the numbers of the Hangul will continue to dwindle. •

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peerzada@tehelka.com