Srinagar, Jul 29: A landmark study has for the first time mapped the reproductive calendar of the critically endangered Kashmir red deer or Hangul (Cervus hanglu), revealing that human disturbance during crucial breeding and birth months could be undermining the recovery of the species whose population has dwindled to around 400 animals.
The research, led by scientists from the Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES), Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, in collaboration with the Wildlife Trust of India, provides what experts describe as a “scientific blueprint for protecting Hangul during its most vulnerable periods”.
Published in the prestigious journal Scientific Reports, the study monitored the only viable wild population of Hangul in Dachigam National Park using non-invasive hormone analysis from 1,172 fresh faecal samples collected over a year.
Researchers found that while male Hangul exhibit a synchronised rutting season between October and December, females display a more dispersed mating pattern extending over several months. Pregnancies peak between January and March, while April marks the principal birthing season, when females experience heightened physiological stress.
The findings suggest that these months should be treated as “critical conservation windows”, with minimal human activity inside Hangul habitats.
“Our findings establish the reproductive seasons of Hangul for the first time and provide a baseline for conservation breeding programmes,” the authors wrote, adding that anthropogenic disturbances during mating and parturition should be minimised to improve population recovery.
The study also detected elevated stress hormones in both male and female Hangul during the breeding season. More significantly, researchers recorded another sharp spike in stress during May, coinciding with the annual movement of migratory livestock herders, their sheep, goats and guard dogs into upper Dachigam.
While the study says further investigation is needed to conclusively establish the link, scientists believe the timing strongly suggests that livestock movement and associated human activity could be adding pressure on the endangered species.
Earlier studies have already shown that Hangul are increasingly shifting towards lower elevations during summer to avoid disturbance, indicating that human presence is altering their traditional habitat use.
Researchers also found that Hangul’s reproductive cycle differs from that of red deer living in northern Europe and Arctic regions. “As a mixed feeder, Hangul has access to food for a longer period than grazing deer, allowing females to have a relatively extended breeding season. Nevertheless, births remain synchronised with spring, ensuring calves arrive when vegetation is abundant,” they said.
The study reads that satellite-derived vegetation data showed that food availability peaks from May to June, matching the period when newborn fawns require maximum nutrition. It warns that climate change, shifting vegetation patterns and increasing human activity could disrupt this delicate timing, affecting breeding success in future.
The findings are expected to have immediate implications for wildlife management in Jammu and Kashmir. Scientists have recommended restricting tourism, grazing, infrastructure work and other disturbances inside Dachigam during the breeding and birthing periods. They also advocate expanding camera-trap monitoring, improving habitat connectivity between isolated Hangul populations and strengthening captive breeding efforts using the newly established reproductive calendar.
Once numbering between 3,000 and 5,000 animals across Kashmir, the Hangul has suffered a catastrophic decline over the past century due to habitat fragmentation, grazing pressure, poaching and human disturbance. Today, Dachigam National Park supports the only viable population, with a few tiny, isolated groups surviving in Wangat-Naranag, Overa-Aru, Tral and Lolab landscapes.
The researchers say the hormone profiles generated through the study now provide an essential scientific foundation for future conservation breeding programmes and long-term management strategies, especially as climate change continues to reshape Himalayan ecosystems.
The study concludes that protecting Hangul during its mating and birthing seasons may prove as important as habitat restoration itself, warning that without reducing disturbance during these critical months, the future of Kashmir’s iconic red deer will remain uncertain.
