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Context :

Recently, Scientists conducted a study. The main purpose is to find how human disturbances impacted the Himalayan hangul deer’s reproductive health & stress levels during their mating & birthing seasons.

Details :

The Himalayan Hangul Deer is an endangered species. It has a critically low population of 300-350 individuals left  in the forest.

Study Location: The study was conducted in the Kashmir Himalayas in 2019-2020.

What is the Hangul Deer?

• It is subspecies of the Central Asian red deer (Cervus hanglu hanglu).
• It is Endemic to Kashmir & northern Himachal Pradesh..
• It is a state animal of Jammu & Kashmir.
• And it is only surviving Asiatic subspecies of the Red Deer.

Habitat & Protected Areas:

• It is mainly Found in dense riverine forests, valleys, mountainous regions of Jammu & Kashmir & northern Himachal Pradesh.
• What are the main Protected Areas ?
  • Dachigam National Park (J&K): they primarily live in this park.
  • Tral Wildlife Sanctuary (J&K): this is also a habitat & Additional protection area.

IUCN Status:

• Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List because of declining population .
• In the 1940s, The population was 3,000-5,000 . But in 2023 there was 289  left only.

Key Features of Hangul Deer:

• Males have multi-tined antlers.
• Their Mating happens from October to December, & birthing happens in the month of April-May.
• Herbivorous Diet: They feed on grasses, leaves, & forest vegetation.

Conservation Implications:

• The study shows the importance of reducing human disturbances. for example activities like livestock grazing & herder movement, during mating & birthing seasons.
• These disturbances harm their reproductive health & survival of
• Captive Breeding Programs: there is a need to understand their mating & birthing timings. This is a key to develop effective conservation strategies like captive breeding programs.

Publication and Contribution to Conservation Science:

• The research was published in Nature Scientific Reports. It is a contribution to the National Mission on Himalayan Studies
• LaCONES (Laboratory for Conservation of Endangered Species) has a biobank of 250 species.
  • A biobank is a collection of biological samples and health information used for research. Biobanks can store samples from humans, animals, and plants.
• It has also successfully produced cubs of species such as blackbuck and spotted deer using artificial insemination (AI).
  • Artificial insemination (AI) is a process in which sperm is manually inserted into the reproductive tract of a female to induce pregnancy. It can be used for both animals and humans.

Source: TH