Brown hare populations have declined by over 75% in the UK since the 1960s, with the remaining population facing welfare pressures from intensive agriculture and hunting.
Brown hares in intensively farmed landscapes face chronic stress from inadequate cover, reduced food diversity, and exposure to predators in open monocultures. Leverets separated from their mothers face exposure and predation in crops that lack protective vegetation. Illegal hare coursing causes direct welfare harm through dog attacks and the prolonged chase before capture. Agricultural practices including hedge removal and continuous arable cropping have removed the habitat complexity that hares depend on.