MUZAFFARABAD: The Hangul, an iconic species also known as the Kashmir stag or the Kashmir red deer, is facing a dire situation in Pakistan Administered Kashmir (PAK), raising profound concerns.
A 2018 report from the Pakistan-administered Kashmir’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in collaboration with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) painted a grim picture, indicating that the Hangul population in the region is perilously close to extinction.
The findings, however, lack clarity on whether Hanguls still exist in PAK, leaving a lingering question of its survival as no survey on Hangul has ever been conducted. No other survey has taken place after 2018.
The Hangul is a Central Asian red deer species that was initially considered a subspecies of the European red deer. However, it was officially designated as a separate species in 2017.
Dr. Khursheed Ahmad, Senior Scientist, and Head of Wildlife Sciences at Srinagar’s Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST), who has been studying and monitoring them for over 20 years, reveals that Hangul is genetically close to the Bactrian (Bukhara) deer and the Yarkand deer, but differentiated by colour.
Hanguls, also known as the Kashmir red deer, have a greyish-dark brown fur that darkens in winter. Males, larger and darker, weigh 150-250 kg, while females weigh 110-170 kg. They exhibit sexual dimorphism, with stags measuring 180-200 cm in length, and hinds 180-195 cm. Females mature at two, males at three, and pregnancy lasts 6-7 months, resulting in one fawn around May-June. Their lifespan is about 20 years.
A recent camera trap evidence in Tral Wildlife Sanctuary capturing 14 Hangul individuals and photographic evidence in Wangath Conservation Reserve suggest promising habitats outside Dachigam National Park for a contiguous Hangul population at the landscape level, the report added.
Hanguls are elusive, disappearing into oak patches when sensing humans. During rutting season (Sept-Oct), spotting them is easier as stags chase hinds, emitting distinctive calls. Antlers, up to 16 points, shed in March-April, regrow by September for mating. Outside rutting season, they live separately. Camera traps recorded rutting calls at night, challenging their presumed diurnality.
Director Naeem Iftikhar Dar from the Wildlife Department in PAK recognizes the imminent extinction of Hangul in the region.
Speaking with Kashmir Times, he attributed this alarming decline to the installation of fencing along the Line of Control (LoC), a de facto border dividing the disputed Kashmir region. India erected this fencing after the India-Pakistan ceasefire agreement along the LoC in November 2003. Dar emphasizes that the fencing has substantially hindered Hangul’s movement leading to near extinction in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Traditionally, Hanguls would migrate to Gurez in Neelum Valley, Pakistan-administered Kashmir, during rutting season in September/October. However, the last documented sightings in Banthi Nala, Gagai Nala, and Bakore Nala in the Gurez region date back to 1997, raising alarming concerns about the species’ status, Dar added.
Crucially, Hangul’s decline predates the fencing construction, indicating a confluence of factors contributing to its near extinction. Director Iftikhar Dar notes, “Habitat loss from years of conflict along the Line of Control, human interference, deforestation, excessive activity, overgrazing, and regional infrastructure development are potential reasons for the species’ demise.”
The fencing along the Line of Control emerges as a significant factor further diminishing Hangul’s chances of survival in the area. This recognition underscores the multifaceted challenges contributing to the critical state of the Hangul population in Pakistan Administered Kashmir.
Seeking a deeper understanding, Dr. Naeem Awan, a conservation scientist in Azad Kashmir, notes the most recent documented instance of Hangul hunting in Banthi Nala in Neelum Valley dates back to 1981. Since then, there has been a disconcerting lack of information regarding hunting activities targeting Hangul in the region, he told Kashmir Times.
The challenging terrain of the Gurez Valley in the Neelum Valley, compounded by its remote and difficult-to-access nature, poses significant challenges, especially during the harsh winter months when heavy snowfall cuts off contact with these areas.
The shortage of staff makes effective supervision. Consequently, the extent to which the Hangul was hunted in the past remains uncertain.
Once freely roaming from Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh, Kishtwar National Park in eastern Kashmir to Gurez on the northern Line of Control (LoC), the Hangul is now geographically restricted, found only in Dachigam National Park, with isolated populations in the surrounding areas. This large herbivore faces the risk of extinction as its limited habitat is continuously encroached.
In August 2023, the Srinagar based Department of Wildlife Protection (DWLP), issued a indicating a slight increase in the Hangul population from previous estimates (2019: 237; 2021: 261; 2023: 289). However, demographic ratios of male to female and female to fawn are skewed, with the report attributing these imbalances to unidentified Hangul individuals.
Since 2004, the DWLP, in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and local research institutions, has consistently monitored the Hangul population in the Dachigam landscape through nine annual surveys. Population estimates show a marginal increase; however, persistent challenges like habitat fragmentation, poaching, livestock grazing, ecological threats, and predation hinder a significant rise in numbers.
The report stated, “Extensive biotic interferences, including excessive livestock grazing, grass cutting, fuel and firewood collection, human trampling due to paramilitary forces and government department activities in lower Dachigam, contribute to habitat degradation and Hangul decline. Livestock grazing in Upper Dachigam poses long-term harm, leading to competition for food resources and potential disease transmission.”
This emphasizes the detrimental impact of various activities on the habitat and overall well-being of the Hangul population in Dachigam.
Scientific studies emphasize the imminent threat of Hangul extinction without immediate management and conservation interventions, according to the report, adding that major ecological issues include low breeding, disturbed viability, and skewed demographic ratios compared to the ideal Red deer populations.
A recent camera trap evidence in Tral Wildlife Sanctuary capturing 14 Hangul individuals and photographic evidence in Wangath Conservation Reserve suggest promising habitats outside Dachigam National Park for a contiguous Hangul population at the landscape level, the report added.
The report emphasizes that properly managing and making the upper reaches of the landscape available for Hangul could positively impact population growth and genetic viability.
While recent habitat improvement measures and landscape-level planning show promise, the report calls for augmented efforts, including successful captive breeding and further research to address knowledge gaps in Hangul’s basic ecological understanding and skewed demographic ratios.
The fate of the Hangul hangs in the balance, with stakeholders striving to ensure the survival of this iconic species in the heart of Kashmir’s wilderness in Indian Administered Kashmir. However, the question of whether the Hangul will return to Pakistan Administered Kashmir, influenced by the fencing along the Line of Control, remains unanswered at this time.
*A dedicated writer Passionate about Society and environment and can be reached at: nosheenabid821@gmail.com
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