(Cervus Elaphus Hanglu; Red Deer ) As Flagship Species of Dachigam
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JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE RESEARCH Journal homepage: www.jakraya.com/journal/jwr REVIEW ARTICLE Hungul ( Cervus elaphus hanglu; Red Deer ) As Flagship Species of Dachigam National Park: A Brief Review Maviya Majid 1, Manpreet Kaur 1, Waseem Ahmad 2* and Sikander Gul 3 1School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences CT University Ludhiana, India. 2*Department of Botany, 3Department of Environmental Sciences, Government Degree College Handwara Kashmir, India. Abstract Dachigam National Park is one single compact catchment area in the central Kashmir that has a unique and diverse type of fauna and flora. Dachigam occupies almost half of the catchment zone of the famous Dal Lake. The National Park is significant in the sense that it is the only area in the world where last viable population of Kashmir Stag (Hangul) is in existence. The Kashmir Red Deer or Hangul ( Cervus elaphus hanglu ) a member of family cervidae being the state animal is presently surviving only under the moist temperate forests of Kashmir region. The Park is foster mother nurturing rich assets of threatened as well as rare flora and fauna. The faunal, floral, ecological and geomorphologic significance together with proximity to Srinagar has added splendor shine to the glory of *Corresponding Author: Dachigam, as a gene pool for rebosement, protection and propagation of Waseem Ahmad Wildlife. Dachigam is a stupendous example, which represents and preserves significant ecological and biological processes in the way of Email: [email protected] evolution and development of various ecosystems consisting of several communities of plants and animal species. Most significantly, Dachigam Received: 12/07/2019 national park provides suitable habitat for the in-situ conservation of Accepted: 28/08/2019 Hangul, which is critically endangered, and needs attention for the conservation of species, which have global importance such as Himalayan Grey Langur, Himalayan Yellow Langur, throated Marten, Asiatic black bear, Common Leopard. Red Data Book of the International Union has declared Hangul for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). The declining population of Hangul in Kashmir is because of the shrinkage of forests due to deforestation, fragmentation of natural habitat, closure of corridor links between Overall Wildlife Sanctuary and Shikargah Conservation Reserve as well as other potential habitats, contamination of high altitude water bodies due to dam projects and climatic changes due to tourism and recreation and also high population pressure has significantly curbed the wild population of Hangul. Keywords: Dachigam, Hangul, Declining population, Wild life, Climatic changes. 1. Introduction The carrying capacity of the Himalayas is decreasing The Jammu and Kashmir state is the northern day by day due to the heavy pressure of both increasing most state of the country and known for its human and livestock population. The Western biodiversity, natural beauty and for the uniqueness Himalayan ecosystem, of which Jammu and Kashmir is found in the species composition. The rapidly a part, has been recognised as a repository of local increasing population, infrastructure development is conservation traditions that promote the careful use of causing deforestation, depletion of natural resources natural resources in order to maintain a long-term and conditions of paucity. The Himalayas, which play sustainability and to support local socio-economic vital role not only in Indian but also in sub-continental condition. Dachigam National park was a hunting economy, is in the grip of environmental degradation. reserve or ‘rakh’ of the Maharaja of Jammu and Journal of Wildlife Research | July-September, 2019 | Volume 07 | Issue 03 | Pages 50-58 © 2019 Jakraya Majid et al...Hungul (Cervus Elaphus Hanglu; Red Deer) As Flagship Species of Dachigam National Park: A Brief Review Kashmir for a long time from 1910 until 1947, after Representation of flagship species was mainly centered that its management was handed over to Department of on large-bodied mammals. Their main proponents were Hospitality and Protocol (Fisheries Department, conservation NGO’S perhaps a reflection of the fact Directorate of game preservation) and subsequently to that flagships are mobilized to profile conservation the Forest Department. It was managed under the projects. The popular meaning of flagships, i.e. a leader Wildlife wing of Forest Department and later or brand that is held to be the best of its kind (Simpson Dachigam was declared as a sanctuary by state order and Weiner, 1989), plays a vital role in communicating no. 276/C in 1951 (Holloway, 1970; Holloway and storylines and generating public sympathy for these Wani, 1970). Dachigam Wildlife sanctuary was mammals. A case in point is the giant panda, one of the upgraded to National Park on 4 February 1981 (state most featured flagship species. Here, the metaphor of order no. FST/20) by the Government of Jammu and representation raises the panda’s profile and influences Kashmir. The management of Dachigam National Park the way people value species. Framed as ‘‘an animal is handed over to the newly formed Department of ambassador to the health of our planet’’ (Tampa Wildlife Protection, Jammu and Kashmir 1982 after Tribune, 8 September 2003), pandas are construed as separation from Forest Department. The park is divided special. ‘‘These species need special measures and into two administrative unit Lower and Upper extra protection in order to survive they help numerous Dachigam which are administered by Central and other species that live in the same habitat’’ (Topeka South Wildlife Divisions respectively. Today it is Capital-Journal, 2 September 2007). They call for more managed in IUCN category - II (National Park). The concentrated conservation efforts and need to be outstanding conservation values made Dachigam ‘‘rescued from the list of seriously endangered National Park as one of the most important protected animals’’ (The New York Times, 19 September 2000). areas and it holds the last viable population of Kashmir The ability of pandas to signal and highlight was stag ‘Hangul’. Flagship species; “Popular charismatic evoked by a zoo to counter accusations of neglecting species that serve as symbols and rallying points to less charismatic species: ‘‘Our point in getting pandas stimulate conservation awareness and action”. wasn’t to make money but to promote conservation and Heywood (1995) ‘Charismatic’ species that draw education. Pandas help us do that because they’re the financial support more easily and by doing so serve to poster child for conservation. And if people know that protect habitat and other species’. Meffe and Carroll pandas need our attention to survive, they’ll start to (1997), “A species that has become a symbol and look at other animals and ask what they can do to help leading element of an entire conservation campaign”. them survive as well.’’ (Tampa Tribune, 8 September Simberloff (1998), Explanations of the flagship species 2003). Red deer of Kashmir commonly known as concept centered on the metaphor of representation Hangul ( Cervus elaphus hanglu ), the state animal of (e.g. ‘‘hungul in dachigam’’, ‘‘A powerful symbol of Jammu and Kashmir is critically endangered by the the ecosystem that needs to be preserved’’). This IUCN. Conservation of this species assumes metaphor endows flagships with capacities of significance as this is the only survivor of Red Deer signalling, highlighting and attraction (e.g. ‘‘Signalling Group in the Indian sub-continent as the Shou ( Cervus the health of habitat relied upon by hungul species’’; elaphus Wallichi ) of Bhutan is now considered extinct ‘‘Species that helps highlight problems of the natural by experts. Prior to 1950, the deer was quite abundant world’’; ‘‘Species that attracts funding’’). The and distributed widely in mountains of Kashmir metaphor allows linkages between single species and (Schaller, 1969b). However, after 1950, depletion in ecosystem conservation to be made (e.g. ‘‘Protecting numbers of Hangul was attributed to mass poaching hungul the flagship benefits a large number of plants and loss of its habitat to agriculture and stock-grazing. and animals’’, ‘‘Conservation work done for the At present, the only harboring habitat of deer is flagship hugely beneficial to others’’). However, it also Dachigam National Park and its adjoining areas profiles particular species by conceiving them as (Khursheed, 2007). The decline occurred there also as ambassadors or messengers for conservation (e.g. from an estimated 2000 Hangul in 1947 (Gee, 1965), ‘‘Pandas are animal ambassador to the health of our only 140 to 170 survived in 1970 (Holloway, 1970). planet’’, ‘‘Polar bears are flagships for the message of Grazing, poaching and disturbance due to human climate change’’). Further, flagships are able to activities were identified as major factors affecting promote (e.g. ‘‘promote local interest in conservation recovery of Hangul in Dachigam (Kurt, 1978, 1979). issues’’, ‘‘promotes collective responsibility to Due to declaration of Dachigam as a National Park in conserve habitats and wildlife’’), provide and protect 1981 and measures taken for its rehabilitation, the deer (e.g. ‘‘Protects habitat that provides living space for numbers started increasing to appreciable extent. But others’’, ‘‘the flagship provides protection for the outbreak of militancy in 1989 and political unrest in the whole community of wildlife that coexists with it’’). state thereafter, once again