The Hangul or Kashmir Stag [Cervus elaphus hanglu] is the only surviving race of the Red Deer family in the Indian sub-continent. Dachigam is home to the last viable population of Hangul in the world.

The Hangul was once distributed widely in the mountains of Kashmir but in recent years the population has drastically declined from its past distribution range. It is listed as an endangered species in the Red Data Book of the international Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN).

The Black-necked Crane [Grus nigricollis] is the official State Bird of Jammu & Kashmir. It is one of the world's most endangered cranes.

With a total world wide count of only 5000-6000 birds, the Black-necked Crane is listed as globally threatened in the Red Data Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The Tso Morari Lake in Ladakh is the only breeding ground for the Black-necked Crane outside China.

Click to view a photograph of the Black-necked Crane :