DACHIGAM, JULY 08: The Hangul population has reached 323 in Kashmir.
“It is heartening that Hangul population has reached 323 individuals in the latest survey of March 2025,” said Javed Ahmed Rana, Minister for Forest, Ecology & Environment.
The Minister highlighted the importance of community awareness, anti-poaching efforts, and collaborative conservation initiatives in protecting the JK’s natural heritage. He also noted
Dachigam remains the last bastion of the critically endangered Hangul (Cervus hanglu hanglu) –” the Kashmir stag –” found nowhere else in the world.
As per the 2021 census, the Hangul population in Kashmir is 263. Official figures reveal that the Hangul population was 237 in 2019, an uptick from the 2017 census. In 2017, the Hangul population was 214. Earlier, Hangul’s count was 175, 218, and 186 in 2009, 2011, and 2015 respectively.
Hangul is a very shy and elusive animal that is very hard to spot in the woods. Scientists in 2017 achieved a rare feat when they fitted a satellite collar on the critically endangered `Hangul’ to understand their biology, behavior, and ecology in a bid to support the management interventions for the survival of the animal species.
Official figures reveal that 15,806.75 square kilometers of area in Jammu and Kashmir are under the Protected Area Network, which comprises five National Parks, 14 Wildlife Sanctuaries, and 37 Conservation Reserves.
Dachigam National Park covers 141 km and is the only global habitat for the Hangul. The park’s management has been recognized for its efforts in conservation, and recommendations have been made to further enhance its effectiveness, including making the Hangul Conservation Breeding Centre fully functional and promoting eco-tourism.
Rana felicitated the officers and staff of the Wildlife Department for their outstanding achievement in the conservation of protected areas in Jammu and Kashmir during an event organized at Dachigam National Park.
The Minister appreciated the officers and other stakeholders who contributed to making Dachigam National Park the highest-scoring protected area in the country with a remarkable score of 92.97% in the Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) exercise conducted by the Wildlife Institute of India under the aegis of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change.
Rana said that Dachigam National Park’s achievement is a testament to the unwavering commitment and dedication of the forest department, wildlife experts, and local communities towards the conservation of protected areas.
Rana said that the park’s excellence in biodiversity protection, ecological management, staff efficiency, and community engagement has set a benchmark for other protected areas to follow. He said that there was a long way to go and hoped that the department would continue to work with renewed enthusiasm.
Highlighting the impacts of trespassing on natural boundaries of ecology, Javed Rana said that today’s climatic challenges being faced at national and international levels are due to the ecological imbalance attributed to unrestricted human activities. He said that JK is bestowed with numerous natural resources that put additional responsibilities on our shoulders to maintain that dignity.
To further enhance the conservation efforts, the Minister announced several initiatives, including the formal recognition of five Wildlife Rescue Centres by the Central Zoo Authority, operationalization of 18 new trekking routes, and improving the habitat of wild animals.
The Minister reiterated the Omar Abdullah-led Government’s commitment to protect Jammu and Kashmir’s natural heritage and promote eco-tourism, biodiversity monitoring, and habitat restoration.