Brown hares have declined by approximately 80% since 1880 in the UK, with intensive agriculture reducing their food and cover, while hares themselves experience significant welfare harm from hunting, coursing, and agricultural operations.
Key Facts
UK brown hare populations have declined by approximately 80% since 1880, with an estimated 800,000 remaining
Hares are the UK's fastest land mammal, capable of reaching 70km per hour
Unlike rabbits, hares give birth above ground to leverets which are vulnerable to farm machinery during cutting operations
Hare coursing using dogs was made illegal in England and Wales under the Hunting Act 2004 but continues illegally
Agricultural intensification has reduced the mosaic of grassland, arable, and hedgerow habitat hares need
Welfare Considerations
Hare welfare threats span multiple sources. Agricultural machinery during spring and summer cutting operations kills leverets and injures adult hares. Illegal hare coursing causes extreme fear and often fatal injury as dogs chase hares to exhaustion. Population decline from habitat loss means each individual's welfare and survival is proportionally more important for population recovery. Hare shooting for sport and food without minimum welfare standards creates further mortality. The combination of population decline and multiple individual welfare threats makes hare conservation and welfare particularly urgent.
What You Can Do
Report suspected illegal hare coursing to the National Wildlife Crime Unit or local police
Support campaigns for stronger enforcement of the Hunting Act against illegal hare coursing
Advocate for hare-friendly farming practices including winter stubbles and wildflower margins
Join and support the People's Trust for Endangered Species hare monitoring programs
Create diverse garden habitats that support hare populations in rural and peri-urban areas