Previous Year Question

Dachigam National Park is located approximately 22 kilometres from Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir, within the Zabarwan Range. Its notified area covers approximately 141 square kilometres. The National Park is particularly famous for conserving the Hangul, or Kashmir Stag. The Hangul is a rare deer native to the Kashmir region, currently identified scientifically as Cervus hanglu hanglu. Older scientific literature also refers to it as Cervus elaphus hanglu.

The Hangul belongs to the Deer Family (Cervidae) and is also known as the Kashmir Red Deer. Male Hanguls possess large, branching Antlers, which may generally have 11–16 points. Females lack these antlers. The animal has a brown or reddish-brown coat, while males possess relatively long hair around the neck. It is primarily a Herbivorous animal that feeds on grasses, leaves, tender shoots, and other vegetation.

Dachigam is the principal habitat of the most important surviving natural population of Hangul. The region contains Riverine Forests, Temperate Forests, mountain slopes, and high-altitude grasslands. Habitat Loss, Habitat Fragmentation, Poaching, and Overgrazing by domestic livestock have adversely affected Hangul populations. Protecting natural habitats, monitoring populations, and conserving Wildlife Corridors connecting different habitats are important measures for its conservation.

Musk Deer, Yellow-throated Marten, Asiatic Black Bear, Leopard, and several Himalayan bird species are also found in Dachigam. Therefore, Musk Deer and Yellow-throated Marten are ecologically associated with this National Park, but its distinctive conservation identity is particularly linked to the Hangul. The Golden Oriole is a bird, whereas the Hangul is a Himalayan deer whose conservation gives Dachigam National Park its special significance.