CM Pledges Swift Action To Boost Hangul, Markhor Numbers

Srinagar- Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Friday underscored the urgent need for coordination between academic research and government action to protect the Hangul, Markhor, and other threatened Himalayan species.

Speaking at the valedictory session of the Second International Conference on Hangul Protection and Other Threatened Ungulates Conservation (2IHUC-25) at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K), he pledged swift implementation of the conference recommendations.

“Unless there is synergy between academic research and government implementation, we risk losing magnificent animals like the Hangul. Every species exists for a reason. When they thrive, ecosystems thrive-and when ecosystems thrive, humankind thrives as well,” Omar said.

The Chief Minister, who is also Pro-Chancellor of SKUAST-K, assured delegates that the government would act promptly to ensure measurable growth in the populations of Hangul and Markhor before the next international conference.

Recalling the words of eminent conservationist MK Ranjitsinh, Omar emphasized that wildlife conservation is closely linked to human survival. Sharing his personal regret, he noted that despite living near Dachigam National Park, he had never seen a Hangul in the wild.“I don't want a situation where our children and grandchildren know these species only through photographs in books, like the dodo or woolly mammoth. That would be a tragedy we must not allow,” he said.

The three-day conference brought together over 200 delegates, including wildlife experts, conservationists, and biologists from India, the US, UK, Canada, the Middle East, and Central Asia. Participants shared research findings and strategies for conserving Hangul, Markhor, and other threatened ungulates of the Himalayan region.

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