A new scientific study has revealed that reducing human disturbance during the Hangul’s breeding and birthing seasons is crucial for the survival of the critically endangered Kashmir stag, whose wild population has dwindled to around 400 animals.
Researchers from the Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES), CCMB, in collaboration with the Wildlife Trust of India, mapped the reproductive cycle of Hangul in Dachigam National Park using non-invasive hormone analysis. The study found that males rut between October and December, pregnancies peak from January to March, and April is the main birthing season.
The research also detected elevated stress levels during May, coinciding with the annual movement of migratory livestock and herders into upper Dachigam, indicating that human activity may be adding significant pressure on the endangered deer. Climate change, habitat fragmentation, grazing, poaching, and increasing tourism further threaten the species’ recovery.
Scientists have recommended restricting tourism, grazing, and infrastructure work during critical breeding and birthing periods, while improving habitat connectivity, camera-trap monitoring, and conservation breeding programmes. They warn that protecting these “quiet seasons” is as important as habitat restoration if Hangul is to recover in the wild.
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