Kashmir - Antlered Red Deer aka Hangul Approaching The End - Maybe 150 Left - Reuters

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SRINAGAR, India - A rare species of red deer found only in Indian Kashmir is on the verge of extinction, with only 160 animals in existence, a preliminary census by India's wildlife authorities showed on Monday.

The antlered red deer, commonly known as the hangul, was once the biggest draw of Dachigam, a mountainous sanctuary on the outskirts of Kashmir's summer capital, Srinagar, where they grazed in thousands decades ago. Rampant poaching, neglect by authorities and a 17-year-old separatist rebellion in the region took its toll on the population of the majestic-looking deer which numbered in the region of about 900 in 1989, experts said.

"Hangul is a critically endangered species. There has been a steady decline in the hangul population from 2004 to 2008," the census report said. The census was carried out in March this year by Kashmir's wildlife department and the Wildlife Institute of India.

Poachers continue to kill the deer for its antlers, which fetch a good price on the international black market.

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