SRINAGAR: The three-day Hangul Population Estimation in the Dachigam National Park concluded here today. Apart from the Wildlife field staff, many volunteers from NGO’s including Wildlife Conservation Fund (WCF), Wildlife SOS, JKMHC, WTI participated in the Hangul census orientation training programme followed by field census exercise. Kashmir University, SKUAST, Forest Protection Force, Forest Department, Research Scholars also participated in the exercise.
The census exercise was conducted on 24, 25 and 26 March, 2017. All the participants traversed designated areas in the National Park and collected data as per the data sheets provided to them. The census exercise was monitored by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Chief Wildlife Warden and Regional Wildlife Warden, Kashmir. At field level, the census programme was conducted and supervised by the Wildlife Warden, Central Division, Dachigam.
The Regional Wildlife Warden, Kashmir Region, Rashid Yahya Naqash, awarded the certificates of participation among all the participants who took part in the Hangul Census-2017 in Dachigam. The census was conducted in Hangul Winter Range Dachigam National Park and immediate watersheds during the first phase, wherein methodology of the census was adopted in consultation with experts of Wildlife Institute of India. The rest of the areas of the Hangul landscape is being taken for census in the next phase. A valedictory function was held at Nature Interpretation Centre (NIC) Dachigam National Park after the concluding census exercise.