The
Kashmir stag, or hangul, is considered to be one of the rarest mammals in the Indian
subcontinent since the 1950s – rarer than the elusive snow leopard. Once found
in the high altitude regions of Pakistan and northern India, with an estimated
population of 5000 in 1950, it had been significantly reduced to 400 by 1957 (relivearth.com).
It is now located only in Dachigam National Park in the Zabarwan mountain range
in Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian area of Kashmir where it is the region’s
animal emblem. The Jammu and Kashmir’s Department of Wildlife Protection
collaborated with the Wildlife Institute of India to document the hangul
population in 2011. The study estimated the population at a mere 205 to 233
(freepresskashmir.com).
The
Kashmir stag (Cervus elaphus hanglu) is
a red deer with magnificent antlers of five tines (prongs or points). It is the
only surviving sub-species of the Red Deer family. It can grow to 120-140 cms (4-4.5
ft) in height to the shoulder and weigh up to 150-180 kilograms (330-400 lbs).
However,
the hangul population continues to be threatened by development, nomadic sheep graziers,
cattle, infectious diseases, poaching, and cement factories on the park
periphery.
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