Jammu and Kashmir's Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, has voiced his concerns regarding the critically endangered Kashmir stag, also known as the Hangul, fearing it may vanish from the region. He expressed his worries at the 2nd International Conference on Hangul at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture and Science. He stated that he does not want future generations to only recognize these species from photographs in books, like the dodo or woolly mammoth.

The Hangul is a subspecies of Central Asian red deer and is endemic to the Kashmir region. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has classified the species as critically endangered. Once widespread throughout the Kashmir Valley and parts of Himachal Pradesh, their habitat has been reduced, and the stags are now largely confined to Dachigam National Park in Srinagar's Harwan area.

The Hangul population has suffered a drastic decline. In 1947, the population was estimated to be 2,000, but in 2008, it had dwindled to a mere 127. A 2023 census, however, showed a rise to 289. The reasons for this decline include poaching, excessive livestock grazing, and deforestation.

Despite living close to Dachigam National Park, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah admitted he had never seen a Hangul in the wild. He stressed that the vanishing of the Hangul and other threatened species like the Markhor would not just be a loss for biodiversity but a direct threat to the ecological balance. He also stated that protecting the Hangul is protecting life itself.

The three-day international conference at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST-K) was attended by over 200 delegates, including wildlife experts, conservationists, and biologists from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, the Middle East, Central Asia, and South Asia. They shared research and strategies for conserving the Hangul, Markhor, and other threatened ungulates of the Himalayan region. The conference concluded with calls for a roadmap to save the Hangul and other threatened ungulates, including the Markhor, Asiatic Ibex, and Bukhara deer.

Omar Abdullah pledged that his government would act promptly on the recommendations of the Second International Conference on Hangul protection. He expressed his hope that the population of Hangul and Markhor would have grown significantly by the next conference. He also underscored the urgent need for coordination between academic research and government action to protect the Hangul, Markhor, and other threatened Himalayan species.