Wildlife of
Jammu and Kashmīr

Primary Threats

• Fragmentation of forest-meadow mosaics from settlement expansion in valleys, conversion to orchards and cropland, and encroachment/reclamation around wetlands and riparian areas (Jhelum floodplain, Wular margins), reducing contiguous habitat for Hangul, musk deer, and pheasants.
• Warming-driven shifts in snow cover and timing of meltwater affect alpine meadows and stream ecology; increased frequency of extreme events (heavy snow/rain, landslides) disrupts mountain corridors and degrades slopes critical for markhor and high-altitude carnivores.
• Nutrient loading and solid-waste inputs into lakes and rivers (Dal-Nigeen system, Jhelum) from sewage, houseboats, tourism, and urban runoff drive eutrophication, weed proliferation, and declines in native aquatic biodiversity.
• Aquatic invasives and aggressive weeds in lake/wetland systems (e.g., dense macrophyte growth promoted by eutrophication; invasive terrestrial shrubs such as lantana in parts of Jammu foothills) alter habitat structure and reduce native plant diversity used by waterbirds and herbivores.
• Disease spillover risk from livestock and free-ranging dogs at forest edges and along migratory grazing routes (e.g., PPR, parasitic burdens), posing threats to wild ungulates and, indirectly, to large carnivores dependent on them.
• Opportunistic hunting for meat and local demand persists in remote areas; it is particularly damaging for low-density species (musk deer, pheasants) and can depress prey bases needed for snow leopard and leopard.
• Illegal trade pressures include musk pods (musk deer), bear parts, and occasional trade in pheasants and other wildlife-facilitated by rugged terrain, porous routes, and high-value products.
• Localized overharvest and destructive fishing practices in some river stretches and tributaries reduce fish biomass and degrade aquatic food webs; this also interacts with pollution and hydropower-regulated flows.
• High seasonal tourism and recreation (trekking routes, skiing areas, popular scenic valleys) and heavy footfall around pilgrimage/travel corridors increase noise, litter, and off-trail movement that disrupt breeding and foraging of pheasants, waterbirds, and large mammals.
• Conflicts include leopard and bear incidents near forest edges, livestock depredation in upland grazing areas, and crop damage by wild boar/primates-often escalating where garbage and unmanaged livestock attract wildlife toward settlements.
• Overgrazing in alpine meadows and forest clearings, along with fuelwood and NTFP pressure in some landscapes, reduces regeneration of key forage/understory plants and can simplify habitats used by Hangul and other ungulates.
• Road widening, new roads/tunnels, transmission lines, and hydropower construction in steep terrain fragment movement corridors, increase vehicle collision risk, trigger landslides, and open previously remote areas to disturbance and extraction.
• River regulation (hydropower), bank protection works, wetland drainage/reclamation, and intensive deweeding/dredging in urban lakes can alter hydrology and habitat complexity, affecting fish spawning areas and waterbird foraging sites.
• Expansion/intensification of orchards and croplands in valley bottoms and lower slopes narrows forest-wetland buffers, increases pesticide/fertilizer runoff, and pushes wildlife into smaller, more conflict-prone patches.
• Growth of Srinagar and other towns increases wastewater loads, construction on floodplains, and solid-waste leakage into rivers and wetlands, impacting Dal-Jhelum-Wular ecological functions and nearby bird habitats.
• Past legacy logging and continuing localized illegal felling/fuelwood extraction reduce mature forest structure and canopy connectivity needed by forest specialists, and can degrade watershed stability on steep slopes.
• Sand/boulder extraction from riverbeds (notably in parts of the Chenab/Jhelum basins) and quarrying for construction materials can destabilize banks, increase turbidity, and degrade riparian habitats important for fish and riverine birds.