Wildlife managers in Jammu and Kashmir are reaping the benefits of a meticulous conservation programme for Hangul (red deer), one that has saved the official state animal from becoming extinct.
The Hangul population has risen to 175 as against 117 in 2006, indicating that the elegant deer is on the path of revival. However, what has made wildlife managers particularly happy is the increase in the female-fawn ratio, which usually indicates whether natural breeding is on the right track.
Hangul need to be conserved because it is the only survivor of the Red Deer group in the Indian subcontinent. Over the years, there’s been a steady decline in the deer population owing to snow leopards and poachers.
In 2006 the female-fawn ratio was 100:9, which means that for every 100 mother deer there were just nine babies. Right now, the ratio is 100:27, which shows that our Hangul conservation plan is working,” said Rashid Naqash, Wildlife Warden, central zone (Kashmir). The basis of the programme was round-the-clock supervision. Apart from this, wildlife officials put in place a closed-circuit protection ring, secured breeding sites, ran an anti-poaching drive and kept predators at bay in the Dachigam Wildlife Sanctuary.
“The breeding season of Hangul usually coincides with the movement of nomadic shepherds from the higher reaches to the plains. The shepherds carry predator dogs to protect their herds. These dogs used to poach upon the Hangul and hamper their breeding process. We kept this in mind while planning our conservation programme and plugged all holes,” said Naqash.
What will give the Hangul a lease of life is the Rs22 crore Species Recovery Plan for conservation of endangered animals. The plan, formulated by the J&K Wildlife department in coordination with the Wildlife Institute of India, has been submitted to the Union environment ministry for approval.
The plan envisions an all-round protection plan for the animal. If it’s approved, funds would be used to buy field and satellite equipment and GIS hardware, build carnivore proof enclosure, conduct anti-poaching and anti-grazing activities and build guard huts.
The government also wants to start the captive breeding of Hangul, for which the wildlife department has started building a conservation breeding centre at Shikargah in Tral.
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