Hangul-deer is found in which part of India?
- (a)In Rajasthan
- (b)In Kerala
- (c)In Jammu and Kashmir
- (d)In Assam
Correct — C, Jammu and Kashmir. The Hangul, or Kashmir stag (Cervus hanglu hanglu), is the state animal of Jammu and Kashmir and is found chiefly in the Kashmir Valley, with its last major stronghold in Dachigam National Park near Srinagar (and adjoining Tral Wildlife Sanctuary). It is Critically Endangered (IUCN) and listed on CITES Appendix I, its population having crashed to a few hundred, which is why its home range is so tightly identified with J&K.
- (a)In Rajasthan — Rajasthan's arid habitat suits chinkara, blackbuck and the Great Indian Bustard, not the temperate-forest Hangul, which needs the Himalayan valleys of Kashmir.
- (b)In Kerala — Kerala's Western Ghats are known for the Nilgiri tahr, lion-tailed macaque and elephants — the Hangul does not occur there.
- (d)In Assam — Assam is famous for the one-horned rhinoceros of Kaziranga; the Hangul is not found in Assam.
The Hangul (Kashmir stag) is a subspecies of the Central Asian red deer surviving only in India, in the mountainous forests of the Kashmir Valley. As the state animal of Jammu and Kashmir and one of India's most endangered large mammals, it is a flagship of Himalayan conservation, centred on Dachigam National Park just outside Srinagar.
The question tests whether a candidate can pair a distinctive Indian species with its state. The distractors offer states each famous for a different flagship animal (Rajasthan-bustard, Kerala-Nilgiri tahr, Assam-rhino), so a student who links 'Hangul = Kashmir stag = Dachigam' reaches J&K without hesitation.
- Hangul = Kashmir stag (Cervus hanglu hanglu); state animal of Jammu and Kashmir.
- Its stronghold is Dachigam National Park near Srinagar (also Tral Wildlife Sanctuary).
- IUCN status: Critically Endangered; listed on CITES Appendix I.
- It is the only surviving Asiatic subspecies of red deer found in India, with a population of only a few hundred.
- Confusing the Hangul (Kashmir) with the swamp deer/barasingha (Kanha) or musk deer (Uttarakhand Himalaya)
- Assuming any famous deer belongs to a large tiger-reserve state like Assam or Madhya Pradesh
UPPSC/UPSC pair a signature species with its state/park, or ask for the state animal or the conservation status of the Hangul.
Which one of the following groups of animals belongs to the category of endangered species?
- (a) Great Indian Bustard, Musk Deer, Red Panda and Asiatic Wild Ass
- (b) Kashmir Stag, Cheetal, Blue Bull and Great Indian Bustard
- (c) Snow Leopard, Swamp Deer, Rhesus Monkey and Saras (Crane)
- (d) Lion-tailed Macaque, Blue Bull, Hanuman Langur and Cheetal
Answer(a) Great Indian Bustard, Musk Deer, Red Panda and Asiatic Wild Ass
Tests recognition of endangered Indian fauna, explicitly featuring the Kashmir Stag (Hangul) among the options — the same species this question locates in J&K.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The Hangul (Kashmir stag) has its principal stronghold in which national park?
- (a)Dachigam National Park
- (b)Kanha National Park
- (c)Kaziranga National Park
- (d)Keibul Lamjao National Park
Answer(a) Dachigam National Park, near Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The Hangul is the state animal of which of the following?
- (a)Himachal Pradesh
- (b)Jammu and Kashmir
- (c)Uttarakhand
- (d)Sikkim
Answer(b) Jammu and Kashmir — the Hangul (Kashmir stag) is its state animal.