A rare species of red deer found only in Indian Kashmir is on the verge of extinction, with only 160 animals in existence, a preliminary census by India's wildlife authorities showed on Monday. The antlered red deer, commonly known as the hangul, was once the biggest draw of Dachigam, a mountainous sanctuary on the outskirts of Kashmir's summer capital, Srinagar, where they grazed in thousands decades ago. Rampant poaching, neglect by authorities and a 17-year-old separatist rebellion in the region took its toll on the population of the majestic-looking deer which numbered in the region of about 900 in 1989, experts said. "Hangul is a critically endangered species. There has been a steady decline in the hangul population from 2004 to 2008," the census report said. The census was carried out in March this year by Kashmir's wildlife department and the Wildlife Institute of India. Poachers continue to kill the deer for its antlers, which fetch a good price on the international black market. "Hangul hunting continued even during militancy, as the animals come down to plains in winters," said Shameem Ahmad, who lives near Dachigam sanctuary. A.K. Srivastava, Chief Wildlife Warden of Jammu and Kashmir said apart from a captive breeding plan, India would launch a Hangul Conservation Plan to preserve the endangered animal. "It (hangul) assumes a great significance as the only Asiatic survivor of the red deer," the census report added. (Reporting By Sheikh Mushtaq; Editing by Bappa Majumdar and Valerie Lee) REUTERS NEWS SERVICE