Srinagar, Apr 9 (ANI): Wildlife authorities in Srinagar set-up satellite collars on Hangul, an endangered Kashmiri red deer, to identify threats to the species and formulate a strategy for conservation.
Project in charge of Hangul collaring, Khurshid Ahmad yesterday said that the project would prove to be a milestone in the endeavour of conserving the rare Kashmiri red deer.
"We initiated this project; it was necessary for the long term conservation of Hangul. Earlier we used to see that range of Hangul was from Kishan Ganga to Kishtwar district but we saw fragmentations in-between, so now we want to track the movement of Hangul which are seen in Dachigam, we want to observe weather they go out of Dachigam or not. We see very less Hangul in summers. Now we would be able to track as their location and the habitat condition. We would get all the information with the help of this project," he said.
The antlered red deer, commonly known as the Hangul, was once the biggest draw of Dachigam, a mountainous sanctuary on the outskirts of, Srinagar, where they grazed in thousands decades ago.
Rampant poaching, neglect by authorities and a 24-year-old separatist rebellion in the region took its toll on the population of the majestic-looking deer which numbered in the region of about 900 in 1989, experts said.
Hangul is a critically endangered species. There has been a steady decline in the Hangul population from 2004. The red deer hunting continued even during militancy, as the animals comes down to plains in winters.
Poachers continue to kill the deer for its antlers, which fetch a good price on the international black market.
The collaring would enable satellite telemetry of the animals and provide in-depth knowledge on lesser-known aspects of Hangul biology, behaviour and ecology.
The authorities at Dachigam National Park in collaboration with Wild Life Institute of India (WLII) have initiated the first experiment on Hangul deer to study their behaviour.
A transmitter in the collar sends a signal to a satellite that detects the location of the animal, their movement and the habitat they live in.
An endangered species of red deer found only in Kashmir has made a rapid comeback in the past year due to a decline in violence and conservation efforts.
The census has also shown improvement in the female-fawn ratio, a sign for a sustained population growth in future.
Hangul assumes a great significance as the only Asiatic survivor of the red deer. (ANI)
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