The Kashmir stag, or hangul, a critically endangered species, has seen its population rise to 323 in the latest census, officials reported. This marks a significant increase from previous counts, with numbers climbing from 127 in 2008 to 289 in 2023 and now 323 in the 2025 census. While conservation efforts are yielding positive trends, officials emphasize that substantial work remains to further increase the population, which historically numbered in the thousands.