Wildlife scientists in Kashmir have begun a process to fit satellite collars on a group of endangered Kashmir red deer, hangul, facing extinction due to shrinkage of habitat, official apathy and lack of effective scientific intervention for the species’ survival.
The collaring would enable satellite telemetry of the animals and provide in-depth knowledge on lesser known aspects of hangul biology, behavior and ecology.
“We have collared an adult hangul (Cervus elaphus hangulu) on Saturday (March 16) and hope to fit the tiny equipment on few others during this week”, Dr Khursheed Ahmad, Principal Investigator and head of wildlife department at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences told The Pioneer.
He said the study would support the management interventions for long term survival of the species in its erstwhile range from Gurez in north Kashmir to far south Kishtwar in Jammu region. However, the hangul , which some decades ago grazed even in the lower reaches of Dachigam National Park in east Srinagar and in a vast mountainous belt in south Kashmir, is now believed to be confined to the high ridges of the national park alone.
Interestingly, the collared animal was captured in the upper ridge after the scientists toiled for two days and hid in caves to remain inconspicuous. A team of scientists from Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun conducted the field operation. “We are using the most modern scientific methods to capture the animals before collaring them and releasing back in the habitat”, scientist Dr Parag Nigam said.
The hangul population is on a continuous decline due to altered male-female ratio and a bevy of habitat complications. From over 5,000 animals found in 1940’s in extended habitat between east of Jhelum and lower Chenab, two prominent river courses in Jammu and Kashmir, the hangul habitat has shrunk to Dachigam and the number gone down to a miserable 120.
The authorities also initiated a process for captive breeding of the animal but the project is moving on a snail’s pace. A breeding center was established at Shikargah in Tral pocket of south Kashmir, once a populous hangul habitat but now de-linked from its Dachigam neighbourhood, four years ago but it has not shown any tangible results.
Some experts say that the Shikargah Center has been established to siphon off huge investments from the State and the Center. The wildlife protection department has spent more than Rs 1 core on fencing at Shikargah, which the experts have found ideal for captive breeding. However, the breeding process has not taken off. Ahmad says that collaring of hangul would prove to be a milestone in the process of hangul conservation. “The wildlifers in Kashmir in collaboration with pioneers of the field in the country are on a continuous, planned and extensive mission for the past three years to set a solid foundation for the conservation project”, he said.