Brown hares are native British mammals whose welfare is affected by agricultural practices, field sports including hare coursing and shooting, and road mortality. Understanding hare ecology helps identify welfare priorities.
Hare welfare is compromised by both legal and illegal activities. Hare coursing, even where illegal, causes acute stress through prolonged chase and physical attack by dogs. Agricultural machinery kills leverets that cannot flee. Shooting causes acute death when accurate but wounding is a welfare concern. The population-level decline from agricultural intensification reflects cumulative welfare impacts of habitat loss on millions of individuals over decades. Field margin management and timing of agricultural operations to avoid peak leverets season are practical welfare improvements.