Brown Hare Welfare and Agricultural Intensification

The brown hare is one of Britain most distinctive and charismatic mammals, famous for its mad March boxing, yet it has declined by around 80% since the 1960s as the diverse farmland habitats it depends on have been transformed by intensive agriculture.

Key Facts

UK brown hare numbers declined by around 80% between the 1960s and 1990s, from an estimated 4 million to around 800,000
Brown hares live entirely above ground, relying on their incredible speed of up to 70km/h and cryptic camouflage for survival
The famous boxing behaviour is between females and males, with does rejecting unsuitable suitors
Hares are coursed illegally in some regions, causing significant welfare harm through dog attacks and stress
Brown hares are shot for sport and as agricultural pests, with welfare depending on shooting accuracy

Welfare Considerations

Brown hare welfare is compromised at multiple levels. Illegal coursing subjects hares to terrifying pursuits and injuries from dog attacks. Legal shooting for sport raises welfare questions about wounding rates. Agricultural intensification through silage cutting, autumn tillage, and herbicide use eliminates food, cover, and nesting habitat simultaneously. Hares are highly sensitive to disturbance and have strong fear responses, making any chase or pursuit a significant welfare event.

What You Can Do

Report suspected hare coursing to police wildlife crime units immediately
Support the Hare Preservation Trust and Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust hare monitoring programs
Advocate for agri-environment scheme prescriptions creating winter cover and spring feeding habitat for hares
Never disturb leverets found in fields; parents return to nurse them at dusk
Back legal reform strengthening penalties for hare coursing as a wildlife crime