DACHIGAM, India (Reuters) -- A rare species of red deer found only in the mountains of Kashmir is on the verge of extinction because of years of neglect and rebellion in the Himalayan region.

The red deer (cervus elaphus hanglu), known commonly as the hangul, was once the biggest draw of a mountain-ringed sanctuary on the outskirts of Kashmir's main city, Srinagar, where they grazed in huge herds.

Today, the number of the deer in the Dachigam forests has dwindled from about 5,000 to about 170 after years of poaching and neglect by authorities busy fighting a separatist revolt.

"The situation is alarming for this species of deer only found in Kashmir. Militancy has left nothing untouched in our state but in wildlife the worst hit is the hangul," Kashmir's Forest Minister Ghulam Mohiudin Sofi told Reuters. "The poor animal is the victim of years of neglect. In the early 1990s, militants indiscriminately slaughtered this rare Kashmiri deer for food."

Indian Kashmir, once a famous tourist destination, has been reeling under a violent separatist rebellion for 14 years which has taken a heavy toll on the state's environment and famous wildlife, including the snow leopard and brown bear.

But the worst hit in the stunningly beautiful region is the Hangul, a majestic looking deer with a brownish coat and two antlers, found mostly in the forests of Dachigam, 25 km (15 miles) from Srinagar.

Villagers living near Dachigam (Ten Villages) say the number of Hangul has also fallen because of poaching, by both the Muslim militant rebels, known as Mujahids, or holy warriors, and their security force adversaries. "Both Mujahids and security forces killed at least 400 Hangul between 1990 and 1993, and since then poaching continues because its meat is delicious," said Ishfaq Ahmad, a teacher and resident of Dachigam. In an effort to arrest the fall and eventually increase the Hangul population, the state government has decided to spend $176,000 to set up conservation breeding centres and deer parks at two famous hill resorts, Pahalgam and Gulmarg. "We are also raising anti-poaching squads and social awareness committees," Sofi said. Under federal wildlife laws, poachers killing endangered animals can be sentenced to up to seven years in prison but no one has been prosecuted for killing the hangul.