Hangul

Hangul

News: Hangul, the unique Kashmir stag and the state animal of Jammu and Kashmir has experienced a slight increase in its population after a period of two years.

About
• The Kashmir stag is a type of deer that is native to the region of Kashmir and surrounding areas in India. It is also known as the hangul or the Kashmir red deer. It is a subspecies of the Central Asian red deer, which is closely related to the elk.
• The Kashmir stag has a light brown coat with white spots and a white rump patch. It has large antlers with five branches each.
• It lives in dense forests, high valleys and mountains, where it feeds on grasses, herbs, leaves and fruits.
• IUCN Status – Critically Endangered and Schedule I of Indian WPA.
• A population census of Hangul species is conducted every two years.

What are its population numbers?
• The population of Hangul species has increased to 289 in 2023 from 261 in 2021, a 10% increase.
• The major factors which led to stabilization of the population of the Hangul are - One is the protection of its habitat in the form of Dachigam and another is the restricting of human movement inside the core area of the park to almost zero.