Endangered hangul dies in Dachigam Park under mysterious circumstances
Ishfaq Tantry
Tribune News Service
Srinagar, December 29
A hangul (stag) has died under mysterious circumstances in the Dachigam National Park located on the outskirts of Srinagar. The authorities have claimed that the animal might have died of the wounds sustained during a fight with other stags in the rutting (breeding) season, which is already over.
The body of the male hangul, which is the state animal of J&K and is confined to the Dachigam area, was discovered on December 17 in a stream in the Pahlipora block of the national park. It has been sent for a post-mortem.
The preliminary findings have revealed that the animal, aged between 8 and 10 years, had died three or four days prior to December 17. However to rule out other possibilities of the death as a result of poaching, the authorities is also awaiting the forensic examination report. Hangul (cervus elaphus hanglu) is a critically endangered wildlife species and is the only Asiatic survivor of the red deer and confined to the Dachigam area of Srinagar.
The wildlife authorities say that during the physical examination it was found that the “animal bore two circular wounds on the body” and it is assumed that the “animal might have received these wounds during a fight with another male hangul during the rutting season”. The rutting season, however, lasts between September and early November.
“I was present on the spot during the post-mortem. The physical examination did not specify any evidence of poaching. But still we have taken samples for forensic examination to ascertain or to rule out poaching or a gunshot wound,” said Regional Wildlife Warden Rashid Naqash, who was one of the first officials to reach the spot where the stag was found.
Wildlife Warden, Central Division, Srinagar, Tahir Shawl said the animal had died a natural death and there was no question of the animal having been poached or fired upon by hunters. When asked about talk of a second hangul also dying under mysterious circumstances on December 22, Shawl said no such incident had been brought to his notice. He termed the reports about the death of another hangul as “rumours by certain vested interests.”
The sources, however, said after the “mysterious” death of the hangul, there was a growing suspicion that the hangul could have been a victim of poaching.
