Massive Tree Plantation Effort To Save Kashmir’s Rare Hangul

SRINAGAR, (IANS) – To protect the fragile environment of Kashmir’s rare stag species known as the ‘Hangul’ a social enterprise has decided to plant tress in the habitat of this protected animal.

As the after-effects of climate change are adversely affecting not only the environment but also the rare and distinct wildlife in the Valley of Kashmir, there is an urgent need for intervention.

A social enterprise, Grow-trees.com has come forward to plant over 1,25,000 trees of various species in the habitat of the Hangul.

Hangul is a subspecies of the Central Asian red deer found in the dense riverine forests of the Valley and mountains of Jammu and Kashmir and northern Himachal Pradesh.

The initiative is aimed at an urgent intervention to prevent the population from going extinct. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has already classified the Hangul as Critically Endangered in the Red Data

By planting trees, the program works towards restoring the Hanguls’ habitat, and as these trees mature, they offer vital ecological benefits such as carbon sequestration, a sustainable water supply, and a healthy source of nutrition for the Hanguls. Afforestation also helps to fight climate change.

The greatest advantage of the ‘Trees for Hanguls’ is that the public can become a part of this initiative by gifting or purchasing a tree.

For more information: www.grow-trees.com.