Srinagar (Jammu-Kashmir): The officials of the wildlife protection department in Kashmir have found the carcass of a highly endangered red deer--Hangul--in an orchard in a south Kashmir village on Wednesday. They said that the animal must have detached from a herd before it fell prey to a wandering leopard in the area. The carcass has been sent for autopsy.
Hangul (Cervus elaphus hangul)--a rare species of endangered red deer, only found in Kashmir has dwindled in number over the past decades. The animal's last habitat is at Dachigam National Park in the outskirts of Srinagar where officials said that their number has slightly increased in recent years due to conservation measures.
Earlier this month, a herd of Hangul was spotted walking on a snow-clad ridge in Dachigam, soon after which the carcass was found in an orchard near Shikargah village of Tral where a captive breeding center had been established a few years ago.
Shikargah in the Tral area of south Kashmir is another area where Hangul has been spotted. Through a hilly terrain this area links with Dachigam national park.
Local officials said that a number of Hangul are present in the Shikargah area and it is believed that this hangul was separated from the group during the night, after which the leopard killed it.
Talking to ETV Bharat, Wildlife Protection Department official Muhammad Maqbool Ganai said that soon after they got a message about the presence of Hangul carcass, a team of wildlife officials reached the area and took the carcass for autopsy.
This is the first time in the past four decades that a hangul carcass was found in the area. Last year in March, a carcass of hangul was found in Dachigam national park area.
Locals say that in the 1950s, Hangul used to wander into residential areas but with their dwindling numbers, these sites have become extremely rare.
READ: J&K: Hangul carcass found in Dachigam Wildlife Sanctuary, raises concerns about endangered species
