The iconic, endemic, flagship red deer species of Kashmir Himalaya, Cervus elephus hunglu, has been classified by the IUCN Red Data Book as a “Critically endangered” species. From a thousand individuals since the 1980s we have come up with a few hundred individuals. Its preferred habitat includes riverine, temperate grasslands and shrublands, as well as the lower temperate pine mixed forests of Dachigam, Shikargah, Tral, and other Gurez forest areas. However, it is now restricted to only Dachigam National Park, that too only in 50 km2 out of a total of 171 km2.

Although it is classified in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and the Jammu and Kashmir Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1978, the Government of India considers it to be one of the top 15 species that needs special state protection. As a result, it drew attention from national to international organisations such as the WWF to aid financial support for its conservation.
With the latest Census report of 2019, the number is nearly around 196 individuals as the reports of the recently held census of 4th April 2021 is yet to come out. We know that this Kashmir deer is undergoing a lot of biotic pressures which mainly includes habitat fragmentation, low fawn –female ratio, competition for food due to grazers and especially poaching and conflict of armed forces in the fragile and ecologically sensitive area of Dachigam.
Another factor that is responsible for its declining population over the years is the prey-predator population imbalance. The increasing population of its common predators such as Common leopard, Himalayan Black bear and dogs of the nomadic population who are rearing their livestock in the peripheries of this very park is another threat to its survival. From the local knowledge, poachers hunt the mature individuals which are in reproducible age and are among of the major threats to its survival in this park.
During summers, Hangul hardly gets any space for grazing due to the huge population of indiscriminate local and non-local livestock populations in the Dagwan valley and upper Dachigam. The proposal of shifting of Sheep Breeding Research Centre by the State Wildlife Advisory Board was agreed upon by the State cabinet in 2005 but the implementation status is still lacking.
Wildlife Experts said that the major challenge for its survival is the low male-female ratio, as well as the fawn-adult disparity, which is the reason for the declining population. Even dogs have been deployed by armed forces and nomads which is also a threat to fawn individuals. The patrolling in the core zones of the park disturb the rutting behaviour of Hangul which also lead to a decrease in the population of Hangul in the park. The non-availability of food in the winter season is another factor that leads to death and weakness by starvation, which makes the hangul susceptible to attack by large predators.
Scientifically, if any of the biotic or biotic components will get disturbed by human interventions whole of the ecological balance of nature gets affected. Also due to the threat of predators, the Hangul is trying to escape from the park by adapting routes towards peripheral areas of the Zabarwan sub mountain range.
One of the conservatory measures was taken by the Wildlife Department in past years for ex-situ breeding in the Shikargah area of Tral, Pulwama district of Kashmir but no parental stock was observed. The Wildlife Department of J&K as well as the central government put some efforts in order to conserve or protect this species, but we are not with worthwhile results so far as Hangul is at risk of extinction as we may lose this iconic species in coming years.
The need of an hour is to critically analyse and study its feeding, breeding and resting grounds and also to study its animal behavioural ecology which will help us to come up with a reason and conclusion for its dropping population. It’s a grave concern for the state to lose its iconic symbol animal if human intervention continues to alter its habitat with no harder law implementations, hence it needs all of the efforts, measures of protection.

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