The magnificent Kashmiri Red Stag or Hangul could finally get some protection with the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) all set to declare it a ‘critically endangered’ species. Known for its giant antlers bearing 11 to 16 points, Hangul has been hunted over centuries and its habitat destroyed, leading to its population in the wild plunging to a mere 150. Even then, IUCN – the
biggest international body assessing threat levels to flora and fauna – categorised it as that of ‘Least Concern’ by clubbing with European and other ‘red deer’ species of the world.
A scientific journal brought by the IUCN, ‘DSG (Deer Specialist Group) Newsletter,’ has recently emphasised on the essentiality of doing this. Its May 2016 edition quotes Sarah Brook, IUCN Deer Red List Authority, as saying, “The subspecies assessment of red deer, which has however not been performed up to now, would surely promote Hangul conservation in India.”`
Some species such as in North America are so abundant that they are hunted down under licence. Clubbing Kashmir’s Hangul with them was doing it great harm. There are just about 150 Hanguls left. Therefore, we suggested elevating it to a species level, probably by merging with two other subspecies, bactrianus and yarkandensis red deers, from China’s Tarim Mountains.”
DO YOU KNOW?
Critically endangered’ status to the Hangul will most likely be completed by December 2016.It is listed under Schedule-I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and J&K Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1978 and has also been listed among the top 15 species of high conservation priority by the Government of India.
As per the Bombay Natural History Society, Kashmir’s Hangul population numbered 3,000 to 5,000 around the year 1900. However, 2015 census carried out by Kashmir’s forest department estimated it could be at its lowest ever, 110-130, in Dachigam.
Critically endangered in India
Arthropoda
Rameshwaram parachute spider (Poecilotheria hanumavilasumica)
Peacock tarantula (Poecilotheria metallica)
BirdsI
White-bellied heron (Ardea insignis)
Great Indian bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps)
Forest owlet (Athene blewitti)
Baer's pochard (Aythya baeri)
Spoon-billed sandpiper (Calidris pygmaea)
Siberian crane (Grus leucogeranus)
White-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis)
Indian vulture (Gyps indicus)
Slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris)
Bengal florican (Houbaropsis bengalensis)
Himalayan quail (Ophrysia superciliosa)
Jerdon's courser (Rhinoptilus bitorquatus)
Pink-headed duck (Rhodonessa caryophyllacea)
Red-headed vulture (Sarcogyps calvus)
Sociable lapwing (Vanellus gregarius)
Bugun liocichla (Liocichla bugunorum)
Fish
Wayanad mahseer (Barbodes wynaadensis)
Pondicherry shark (Carcharhinus hemiodon)
Ganges shark (Glyphis gangeticus)
Glyptothorax kashmirensis (Glyptothorax kashmirensis)
Kudremukh glyptothorax (Glyptothorax kudremukhensis)
Nilgiri Mystus (Hemibagrus punctatus)
Horalabiosa arunachalami (Horalabiosa arunachalami)
Hypselobarbus pulchellus (Hypselobarbus pulchellus)
Red Canarese barb (Hypselobarbus thomassi)
Deccan labeo (Labeo potail)
Mesonoemacheilus herrei (Mesonoemacheilus herrei)
Bovany barb (Neolissochilus bovanicus)
Deolali minnow (Parapsilorhynchus prateri)
Pookode Lake barb (Pethia pookodensis)
Common sawfish (Pristis pristis)
Largetooth sawfish (Pristis microdon)
Longcomb sawfish (Pristis zijsron)
Psilorhynchus tenura (Psilorhynchus tenura)
Deccan barb (Puntius deccanensis)
Humpback mahseer[5]
Schistura papulifera (Schistura papulifera)
Insects
Pygmy Hog Sucking Louse (Haematopinus oliveri)
Reptiles and amphibians
Madras spotted skink (Barkudia insularis)
Northern river terrapin (Batagur baska)
Red-crowned roofed turtle (Batagur kachuga)
Cnemaspis anaikattiensis(Cnemaspis anaikattiensis)
Hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus)
Ghats wart frog (Fejervarya murthii)
Jeypore ground gecko (Geckoella jeyporensis)
Gundia Indian frog (Indirana gundia)
Toad-skinned frog (Indirana phrynoderma)
Charles Darwin's frog (Ingerana charlesdarwini)
Rao's torrent frog (Micrixalus kottigeharensis)
Dattatreya night frog (Nyctibatrachus dattatreyaensis)
Sacred grove bushfrog (Philautus sanctisilvaticus)
Amboli bush frog (Pseudophilautus amboli)
White-spotted bush frog (Raorchestes chalazodes)
Green eyed bushfrog (Raorchestes chlorosomma)
Griet bush frog (Raorchestes griet)
Kaikatti bushfrog (Raorchestes kaikatti)
Mark's bushfrog (Raorchestes marki)
Munnar bush frog (Raorchestes munnarensis)
Ponmudi bush frog (Raorchestes ponmudi)
Resplendent shrubfrog (Raorchestes resplendens)
Shillong bubble-nest frog (Raorchestes shillongensis)
Anaimalai flying frog (Rhacophorus pseudomalabaricus)
Sushil's bushfrog (Raorchestes sushili)
Amboli toad (Xanthophryne tigerina)
Ghats wart frog (Zakerana murthii)
Mammals
Asiatic cheetah: Extinct form India (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus)
Sangai
Namdapha flying squirrel (Biswamoyopterus biswasi)
Himalayan wolf ("Canis himalayensis")
Elvira rat (Cremnomys elvira)
Andaman shrew (Crocidura andamanensis)
Jenkins' shrew (Crocidura jenkinsi)
Nicobar shrew (Crocidura nicobarica)
Northern Sumatran rhinoceros: Extinct from India (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis lasiotis)
Kondana soft-furred rat (Millardia kondana)
Pygmy hog (Porcula salvania)
Indian Javan rhinoceros: Extinct from India (Rhinoceros sondaicus inermis)
Malabar large-spotted civet (Viverra civettina)
Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla)
Endangered in India
Fish
Knifetooth sawfish (Anoxypristis cuspidata)
Asian arowana (Scleropages formosus)
Red line torpedo barb (Sahyadria denisonii)
Birds
Narcondam hornbill (Rhyticero)
Reptiles
Assam roofed turtle (Pangshura sylhetensis)
Mammals
Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica)
Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris)
Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus)
Banteng (Bos javanicus)
Central Kashmir vole (Alticola montosa)
Dhole (Cuon alpinus)
Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)
Fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus)
Ganges river dolphin (Platanista gangetica gangetica)
Gee's golden langur (Trachypithecus geei)
Kolar leaf-nosed bat (Hipposideros hypophyllus)
Hispid hare (Caprolagus hispidus)
Hoolock gibbons (Hoolock spp.)
Indian elephant (Elephas maximus indicus)
Indian wild ass (Equus hemionus khur)
Lion-tailed macaque (Macaca silenus)
Mandelli's mouse-eared bat (Myotis sicarius)
Nilgiri marten (Martes gwatkinsii)
Nicobar flying fox (Pteropus faunulus)
Nilgiri langur (Trachypithecus johnii)
Nilgiri tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius)
Nicobar treeshrew (Tupaia nicobarica)
Palm rat (Rattus palmarum)
Red panda (Ailurus fulgens)
Red goral (Naemorhedus baileyi)
Snow leopard (Uncia uncia)
Smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata)
Sei whale (Balaenoptera borealis)
Stump-tailed macaque (Macaca arctoides)
Sloth bear (Melursus ursinus)
Servant mouse (Mus famulus)
Swamp deer (Rucervus duvaucelii)
Takin (Budorcas taxicolor)
Tibetan antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii)
White-bellied musk deer (Moschus leucogaster)
Wild water buffalo (Bubalus arnee)
Wild goat (Capra aegagrus)
Woolly flying squirrel (Eupetaurus cinereus)
No comments:
Post a Comment