Srinagar

Dachigam National Park in Jammu and Kashmir has secured the highest management effectiveness evaluation (MEE) score in the country in the latest cycle conducted by the Wildlife Institute of India, a wildlife department spokesperson said on Saturday.

"Dachigam topped the list of 438 national parks and wildlife sanctuaries assessed across the country, scoring a remarkable 92.97 percent, a testimony to the park's outstanding conservation standards, adaptive management, and ecological protection protocols," the spokesperson said.

The Wildlife Institute of India was established under the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate.

This recognition is a tribute to the tireless efforts of the officials and frontline staff of the Department of Wildlife Protection, Jammu and Kashmir, who have worked with exceptional dedication and professionalism under the visionary leadership of senior officers, he said.

The park's success in areas like habitat improvement, anti-poaching vigilance, eco-development, and scientific monitoring has been consistently documented and lauded by national evaluators, he added.

Dachigam remains the last bastion of the critically endangered Hangul (Cervus hanglu hanglu) --” the Kashmir stag --” found nowhere else in the world.

Recent population estimation exercises indicate a positive trend in Hangul numbers, offering renewed hope for the survival of this species.

"This achievement reinforces the strategic role of Dachigam National Park in India's biodiversity framework and highlights the need for continued investments in people-centric conservation, scientific research, and landscape-based planning in the Kashmir Himalayas," he said.

Jammu and Kashmir Minister for Forest, Ecology and Environment Javed Ahmed Rana, praised the officers of the wildlife department for the achievement in conservation of protected areas in ecologically sensitive Jammu and Kashmir.

He referred the accomplishment as a benchmark to be emulated in other protected areas in Jammu and Kashmir.