Indian Kashmir Plans to Breed Endangered Red Deer
Date: 20-Jun-07
Country: INDIA
Author: Sheikh Mushtaq
Environmentalists say there are less than 200 red deer known commonly as the Hangul left in Kashmir's forests from more than 900 in 1989 because of poaching and neglect by authorities aggravated by a 17-year-old separatist rebellion in the region.
"Hangul is very important for Kashmir, without Hangul Kashmir is incomplete," Farooq A. Geelani, Kashmir's Wildlife Warden, told Reuters.
The Kashmir state government is setting up a breeding centre near the mountains in the Tral area of southern Kashmir. It also plans to set up a deer park by the hill resort of Gulmarg.
"I am sure the breeding programme will reverse the animal's decline," Geelani added.
Violence, which has killed tens and thousands of people across Kashmir, has also taken a heavy toll on the state's environment.
The Hangul, a majestic looking deer with a brownish coat and two antlers, is found mostly in the forests of Dachigam, a short drive from Srinagar, Kashmir's summer capital.
Wildlife authorities also plan to use satellite-tracking technology to save the Hangul, which is poached for its meat and antlers.
"The animals will be fitted with Global Positioning System collars in the month of November," Geelani added.
Authorities say violence involving Muslim militants and Indian troops has declined in Kashmir after India and Pakistan, who claim the region in full but rule in parts, began a peace process in 2004.
But people are still being killed in regular gun battles, occasional bomb blasts in the strife-torn region.