Seven Iconic Animals Found In Jammu & Kashmir And Where To See Them

 Kashmir, known for its spellbinding, enchanting landscapes, is also home to many species of plants and animals. The state's biodiversity varies with elevation and includes many rare and threatened species. Poaching has always been a major threat to the state's wildlife, but currently, habitat loss also puts the state's biodiversity at stake. From the massive Himalayan brown bears to the Himalayan pit viper, the world's highest living snake, and the highly threatened hangul, Kashmir's seven iconic animals are quite unlike any other in the world!

Himalayan Brown Bear

A Himalayan brown bear. Image credit: Zoo Hluboka via Wikimedia Commons.

It is the largest mammal found in Kashmir and weighs around 250 kg. These bears, a subspecies of the brown bear, are found at altitudes ranging from 2,000 to 2,500 m and feed on both plant parts and animals like insects, crustaceans, rodents, livestock, etc. In recent times, the brown bear has come into conflict with the people of the state as driven by scarcity of food and intact habitat; these bears are forced to approach human-inhabited places. There have been sightings of bears feeding on garbage in human villages. Sightings of these bears have increased in the Pir Panjal Range, the hills of Pahalgam, Drass, Sonamarg, and Kupwara, and other parts of their range but not because of increased numbers but due to a change in behaviour driven by their preference for coming close to human habitation. Conservationists are requesting locals and hoteliers to responsibly dispose of garbage to ensure that potential human-wildlife conflict situations do not arise. 

Kashmir Musk Deer

A rare capture of a Kashmir musk deer. Image credit: Αντώνης Παπ. via Wikimedia Commons.

It is an enigmatic species that is quite unlike any other deer species - it lacks antlers, has large ears, unequal hind and forelimbs, and its males have fangs! This rarely seen species inhabits alpine grasslands and meadows at elevations of above 2,500 m in the Himalayas. The Kashmir musk deer is endangered and is heavily threatened by poaching for meat and musk glands. Very little is known about this species, and efforts to conserve it are also rare. Spotting a Kashmir musk deer in Jammu and Kashmir is thus a matter of great luck. The Overa–Aru and Limber Wildlife Sanctuaries and the Kishtwar National Park are places to look out for.

Western Tragopan

Illustration of a Western tragopan. Image credit: Archibald Thorburn, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

A Vulnerable species, the brightly plumed Western Tragopan is a mid-sized pheasant found in Jammu and Kashmir, with its range stretching into Himachal Pradesh and possibly Uttarakhand and Pakistan to the west. This bird is extremely shy and elusive and highly threatened by poaching. Only around 2,500 to 3,500 individuals remain in the wild. While its presence was known in the state, it was first photographically documented in 2023. However, to protect the bird, the authorities did not disclose the location of the bird. The Western tragopan is highly threatened by poachers who collect its feathers for the black market. Hence, to spot this bird, you must travel across its range depending on anecdotal information and try your luck.

Asiatic Black Bear

A Himalayan black bear in Jammu and Kashmir. Image credit: Abhay200112 via Wikimedia Commons.

This bear species, also called the "moon bear" due to the white crescent-shaped marking on the chest of the bear, is facing major conservation issues in Jammu and Kashmir. Like many other species inhabiting the state, it is facing habitat loss at a rapid pace. Forced out of the degrading forests and with a reduced food supply, these bears are often forced to approach human-dominated areas where they become the source of human-wildlife conflict. Many human attacks by these bears have been registered in recent times, and also retaliatory killings of these bears by people are becoming common. For those who want to see these bears in the wild, the Dachigam National Park is a place to visit.

Kashmir Stag

Illustration of a Kashmir stag or hangul. 

A few decades back, the hangul or Kashmir stag thrived in the dense forests and meadows of Kashmir. This red deer species' range stretched from eastern Kashmir's Kishtwar National Park to the Line of Control in the north. Today, however, these elegant animals number only a few hundred and are critically endangered. The Dachigam National Park and its surroundings near Srinagar is the only remaining habitat for the hangul. Here, too, its habitat suffers from encroachment and overgrazing by livestock. Poaching is also another major threat to the species.

Himalayan Pit Viper

A Himalayan Pitviper in the soil. Image credit: Name, CC via Wikimedia Commons

We usually do not associate Jammu and Kashmir with snakes but the state is home to quite a few of these slithering beauties. While most of the state's snakes are non-venomous members of the Colubridae family, two are highly venomous - the Levantine viper and the rarer Himalayan pit viper. The latter, a dark brown or grey-coloured snake, occurs at altitudes as high as 4,800 m and is the highest-occurring snake species on Earth. It feeds on rodents, skinks, amphibians, etc., found in its habitat. With climate change, the distribution of snakes is bound to change in Jammu and Kashmir, and the question is whether the state is prepared to combat this new change.

Kashmiri Flycatcher

A male Kashmiri flycatcher. Image credit: Bhargav Dwaraki via Wikimedia Commons.

This rare bird is a Vulnerable species that can be spotted in the  Zabarwan Hills and the Dachigam National Park. This small passerine bird is an insectivorous species living at an altitude of 1,800 to 2,700 m in areas with dense undergrowth in preferably mixed broad-leaved forests. Habitat destruction due to deforestation for timber, overgrazing, and agriculture threatens this species's survival in the state.