Wildlife

Brown Hare: Coursing Ban and Ongoing Welfare Challenges

The brown hare faces welfare threats from illegal coursing, agricultural intensification, and persecution despite legal protection.

Key Facts

Brown hare populations declined by 80 percent between 1880 and 1990
Hares rely on open farmland with a mix of crops and rough grass margins
Hare coursing was banned in England and Wales in 2004 but illegal events continue
Females give birth to leverets above ground unlike rabbits which nest in burrows
Brown hares can run at speeds of up to 70 kilometres per hour

Welfare Considerations

Illegal hare coursing causes severe welfare harm as animals are chased by dogs and may be caught and killed or severely injured. Even pursued hares not killed suffer extreme stress response. Agricultural operations including silage cutting and crop spraying kill leverets. Hare shooting occurs on estates where they are seen as competing with game birds for feed crops.

What You Can Do

Report suspected illegal hare coursing to police or the RSPB immediately
Support Hare Preservation Trust campaigns for stronger enforcement of coursing ban
Advocate for farmers to leave unharvested field margins and reduce early silage cuts
Oppose hare shooting on estates without welfare assessment and population monitoring
Donate to Wildlife Trust surveys that track hare population recovery