Conservation prospects of the Kashmir Red Deer (Cervus hanglu hanglu) beyond Dachigam National Park, in Jammu and Kashmir, India

India’s only extant red deer species, the Kashmir red deer, or hangul (Cervus hanglu hanglu) is restricted today to the confines of the 141 sq. km Dachigam National Park (NP) in Jammu and Kashmir, with about 200 surviving individuals. A continual population decline of hangul has necessitated the identification of relict populations and suitable habitats outside Dachigam NP, so that a meta-population approach to its conservation may be employed. Extensive surveys in 2008–2012 across the Kashmir valley, helped identify three distinct areas, where the presence of the red deer was confirmed year-round.

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