Jammu, April 17 J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday unveiled the Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Club jersey and also released a wildlife publication.
The Chief Minister unveiled the jersey of the Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Club (SCC) at a function held here.
The event was attended by Minister for Youth Services and Sports Satish Sharma, Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, and members of the club.
Appreciating the club’s contribution to promoting cricket, the Chief Minister said the government is committed to extending all possible support to encourage sports activities and nurture young talent across Jammu and Kashmir.
On the occasion, SCC President Aman Cheema highlighted the club’s achievements, noting that it has participated in and won several tournaments. He added that the club is playing a positive role in engaging youth and steering them away from negative influences, such as drug abuse, by channelling their energy into sports.
Earlier, the Chief Minister also launched a wildlife magazine titled Checklist of Mammals of Jammu and Kashmir, India. A delegation of wildlife ecologists led by Muzaffar Kichloo briefed him on their ongoing and upcoming projects.
The Chief Minister commended their efforts and emphasised the importance of scientific research and conservation in preserving the region’s rich biodiversity.
The April 2026 Checklist of Mammals of Jammu and Kashmir, India, released by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, serves as a comprehensive inventory detailing 111 mammalian species across 28 families.
The publication highlights 13 globally threatened and 10 Near Threatened species, based on validated records, across diverse habitats in Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh.
Some wildlife species like the Kashmir Hangul, a subspecies of the red deer, are native to Kashmir alone in the world. Its habitat includes the Dachigam National Park, on the outskirts of Srinagar.
Hangul is also found in Tral Wildlife Sanctuary, where it receives protection, though elsewhere it is more at risk.
In the 1940s, the Hangul population was between 3,000 and 5,000 individuals, but since then, habitat destruction, overgrasing by domestic livestock, and poaching have reduced the population dramatically. Its population has now grown marginally to 323 in 2025 from 197 in 2004.
It is the state animal of Jammu and Kashmir and the only surviving Asiatic subspecies of the red deer family.
--IANS
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