Srinagar, Oct. 2 -- Srinagar- The population of Jammu and Kashmir's iconic Hangul has risen to 323 according to the 2025 census, continuing an upward trend from 289 recorded in 2023 and 127 in 2008, even as conservation efforts increasingly focus on protecting the species' wider habitat and movement corridors.

The latest population figure was presented during the sixth meeting of the J&K Wildlife Board in December 2025, where officials also briefed the board on efforts to operationalise the Hangul Breeding Centre at Tral.

The increase represents a significant change from the population levels recorded in the earlier censuses and comes after years of conservation and protection measures focused particularly on the Dachigam landscape and ...