Observations on rutting behaviour of Hangul Deer Cervus elaphus hanglu (Cetartiodactyla: Cervidae) in Dachigam National Park, Kashmir, India

Bhat, Bilal A.; Shah, G.M.; Jan, Ulfat; Ahangar, Fayaz Ahmad; Fazili, Mustahson F.

doi:10.11609/jott.o2125.355-7

Cited by 9 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…However, an effect of sex was also apparent in the estimates for November, in which the male detection probability was much higher than that of females. The hangul rutting season starts in late September and runs until mid November (Bhat et al, 2009), and thus our detection of males may have been higher than recorded previously because our study took place during this period. Detection of females was highest in December, indicating the suitability of this period for conducting surveys.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 59%

“…There are several possible reasons for these differing results. We collected faecal samples towards the end of the rutting season (Bhat et al, 2009) and through peak winter when adult males are expected to be living with or in close proximity to female herds. However, the censuses are usually carried out in the spring and early summer months (Qureshi et al, 2009; Department of Wildlife Protection, Jammu and Kashmir, 2019, 2021), by which time adult males have shed their antlers (J & K ENVIS Newsletter, 2016), separated from herds and dispersed over wide areas.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Genetic insights to assist management of the Critically Endangered hangul Cervus hanglu hanglu in the Kashmir Himalaya

Narayan,

Srivastava,

Sreedharan

et al. 2023

Oryx

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The hangul Cervus hanglu hanglu, a Critically Endangered mountain ungulate of Jammu and Kashmir, India, faces the imminent threat of population loss and extinction. Effective management of its largest viable population in Dachigam National Park in the Kashmir Himalaya requires reliable demographic information. Using 14 microsatellite markers we identified 293 individuals (208 females and 85 males) through faecal analysis, and generated data on the genetic status and population size of the hangul in its winter habitat. The mean expected and observed heterozygosities of 0.62 and 0.59 are comparable to those of several red deer Cervus elaphus populations elsewhere. The effective population sizes were 46.3 and 93.7 when the frequencies of rare alleles were considered to be 0.050 and 0.010, respectively. The average mean kinship of the population was 0.34, and there was no evidence of a recent bottleneck event. In genetic mark–recapture analysis the best model included an effect of sex on both detection and recapture probabilities. Detection of males was highest in November, coinciding with the hangul breeding season, whereas detection of females was highest in December. Our estimate of the hangul population using genetic mark–recapture with bootstrapping was 394 individuals. To our knowledge, this is the first study to use genetic data to estimate the population of the hangul. It will guide future studies of this subspecies and also serve as an impetus for identifying founder animals for captive breeding, and for connecting the population in Dachigam National Park with the other small, isolated populations to ensure the long-term survival of this subspecies.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 59%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic insights to assist management of the Critically Endangered hangul Cervus hanglu hanglu in the Kashmir Himalaya

Narayan,

Srivastava,

Sreedharan

et al. 2023

Oryx

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“…The seasonal habitat use patterns of hangul are similar to that of the European red deer, and the use of elevations during winter (1700-2300 m) did not differ in females and males (Ahmad et al, 2016). Some studies also suggest that predation, especially on hangul fawns, by leopard and feral dogs, has been a problem for the population (Ahmad et al, 2009;Bhat and Fazili, 2017). Though a recent genetic assessment by Narayan et al (2023) suggested that the genetic diversity of the population in Dachigam NP is comparable to that of several red deer populations across Europe and parts of Asia, studies also suggest that a large proportion of suitable habitats remain unoccupied by hangul owing to a lack of connectivity between these habitats (Kaul et al, 2018;Mukherjee et al, 2021).…”

Section: Study Speciesmentioning

confidence: 88%

Establishing reproductive seasons for the conservation of a critically endangered mountain ungulate – The Kashmir red deer Cervus hanglu

Srivast,

Hameed,

Kumar

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Ungulates living in seasonal environments adopt complex life history strategies to cope with pronounced temporal and spatial variability in environmental conditions and resource availability. Understanding the reproductive strategies of slow-breeding mountain ungulates and the associated stress, particularly in the context of human- and climate-induced changes is crucial to devising effective long-term management and conservation strategies. We investigated the patterns in reproductive seasonality and stress in hangul in Kashmir Himalaya, India. We used fecal metabolite concentrations of estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, and glucocorticoids to discern reproductive stages and stress levels. We showed that female hangul exhibited dispersed mating and birth patterns, while males experienced a more synchronized rutting season from October to December. Elevated progestogen levels in females from January to March suggested pregnancies, with low levels in May indicating parturition. Both females and males exhibited mating-related stress. Females also showed parturition-related stress in May, with a spike in males may be due to disturbances from migratory livestock herders’ movements and needs further investigation. The study generates a baseline for captive breeding programs in future and suggests minimizing the anthropogenic disturbances during the times of mating and parturition, both being critical for the population growth of this critically endangered species.

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“…Most disturbance to Hangul comes from staff and vehicles of these departments (Bhat, 2008). On the onset of rut deer come down to lower altitudes where daily and regular movements of VIP's greatly affect their breeding behavior (Bhat et al, 2009). The declining population of hangul is because of the shrinkage of forests, fragmentation of natural habitat due to closure of corridor links between Overa Wildlife Sanctuary and Shikargah Conservation Reserve as well as other potential habitats, contamination of high altitude water bodies and climatic changes due to tourism and recreation and high population pressure (Aziz et al, 2010).…”

Section: Other Anthropogenic Disturbancesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Causes of decline of critically endangered hangul deer in Dachigam National Park, Kashmir (India): A review

Shah¹

2011

Int. J. Biodvers. Conserv.

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This review presents information on declining population trends of critically endangered red deer of Kashmir commonly known as hangul (Cervus elaphus hanglu) belonging to the family Cervidae. It is restricted to Dachigam National Park (DNP) of Jammu and Kashmir State in India and is on the verge of extinction. The causes of decline of its population are both physical and biological factors. The physical factors include grazing by domestic livestock, fuel-wood and timber extraction, charcoal making and grass cutting. The biological factors include poaching by man and predation by leopard and black bear which are the main predators in DNP. The staff and vehicles of several government departments plying in the park also pose a threat to deer.

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Observations on rutting behaviour of Hangul Deer Cervus elaphus hanglu (Cetartiodactyla: Cervidae) in Dachigam National Park, Kashmir, India

Cited by 9 publications

References 0 publications

Genetic insights to assist management of the Critically Endangered hangul Cervus hanglu hanglu in the Kashmir Himalaya

Genetic insights to assist management of the Critically Endangered hangul Cervus hanglu hanglu in the Kashmir Himalaya

Establishing reproductive seasons for the conservation of a critically endangered mountain ungulate – The Kashmir red deer Cervus hanglu

Causes of decline of critically endangered hangul deer in Dachigam National Park, Kashmir (India): A review

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