Hangul: The Pride of Kashmir

India is home to abundant flora and fauna, preserving rare species for decades and centuries. Kashmir’s state animal, the Kashmir Red Stag, also known as Hangul, is critically endangered due to ecological imbalance caused by human intervention. It is the need of the hour to conserve them before they are lost in the woods.

Kashmir Red Stag | Source: Pinterest

Deer is the one common animal that we witness in every zoo and the forested regions. Not just in India, several species of deer exist across the globe. The reason is that deer have been evolving since the Neogene era and have survived several climatic changes. They have also adapted to several geographical changes from time to time. From the Whitetail deer in North America to the Kashmir stag in India, as time has passed, several species of deer emerged and got scattered all across the world. The discoveries of the variants of different species happened over time. The Kashmir Red Stag was first discovered by Alfred Wagner in 1844.

Initially, it was not clear as to which particular species it belonged to, and hence, after several biological observations, it was concluded that the Kashmir red stag’s DNA testing resembled a type of elk. Later, it was classified as a subspecies of Asian red deer, and sadly, it is the only surviving species of the Asiatic red deer family. Its biological name is Cervus Elaphus Hangul. The reason behind its name, Hangul, has something to do with the region it dwells in, Kashmir. While some say that it has derived its name from its pointed antlers, others believe that its name is derived from the word ‘Han Doon,’ which translates to ‘Indian Horse chestnut’ in the local language. The Indian Horse chestnut is one of the fruits that the deer, Hangul, likes to eat.

Hanguls are generally found in the mountainous regions of Kashmir and its nearby states. It prefers to be in the valleys for its temperature and vegetation. Unlike other animals around, Hanguls do not move in solitude. They are always seen in groups of ten to twenty individuals in a herd. Interestingly, Hanguls are matriarchal, and the herds are generally headed by a female. Hanguls are herbivorous animals, and they feed on leaves, shoots, and flowers. However, their eating patterns change from season to season. Sadly, Hanguls are designated as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List, and they are also on the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) list. The major population of Hangul is found in the Dachigam National Park in Kashmir. It is a protected area to preserve the critically endangered species.

Hanguls in a group | Source: Scroll

The population of the Kashmir red deer has declined majorly since the 1950s. While there were more than five thousand of them in India, in just a few decades, the numbers have dropped to just 250 of them. There are several reasons for their decline, and human intervention is critically affecting the numbers. Hanguls have magnificent antlers up to fifteen points, and they attract illegal hunting. The ever-changing weather conditions have taken a toll on the ecological imbalance. Hanguls coexist with other domestic cattle, and overgrazing by them is causing a loss of vegetation for Hanguls. Some of the other reasons include irregular breeding due to alarmingly low male-to-female ratios, constructions, limestone stretching, armed conflicts at the borders, and mainly, lack of support from the local communities.

The number of males is quite low, causing breeding irregularity. There are only fifteen males for every 100 female Hanguls. What is more saddening is for every 100 female Hanguls, there are only nine fawns. The fawns either die during birth or get killed by predators. Hence, the government has put its foot forward to protect it before it is too late.

It is highly important to include the local public in preserving these voiceless creatures. The Government has started several awareness programs, and the Hangul Conservation Project was initiated to draw attention to the dire need to protect this critically endangered species. Detailed surveys and reports are studied by biologists to find out ways to change their irregular breeding patterns. Conservationists and ecologists are studying their movements to protect the fawns from predators and to take care of their vegetation. They are also making full use of technological advancements by installing satellites in the collars of the deer to study it better and protect it. Government initiatives, awareness programs, and inclusion from the local communities can help the project achieve its objectives and would be successful in preserving the pride of Kashmir.