Wildlife

Wild Mammal: Brown Hare UK Conservation

Brown hares are one of the UK's most charismatic mammals but face multiple pressures that have caused significant population decline.

Key Facts

UK brown hare populations are estimated at 70-80% below their 1960 levels
Hares are entirely dependent on open agricultural land for feeding and shelter
Breeding can occur year-round, but leverets born in cold wet springs suffer high mortality
The species is a quarry species with no statutory close season in England
Conservation headlands and beetle banks provide important hare habitat on farmland

Welfare Considerations

Brown hare population decline reflects landscape-scale welfare harm from agricultural intensification reducing food, shelter, and nesting habitat quality. Individual hares face chronic nutritional stress in degraded habitats. Agricultural machinery casualties cause acute welfare harm. Hare coursing - illegal pursuit with dogs - causes acute fear and physical harm to chased individuals.

What You Can Do

Support agri-environment schemes providing hare-friendly habitat on farmland
Report suspected hare coursing to police immediately
Fit flushing bars to farm machinery during levereting season
Submit hare data to the Big Farmland Bird Count and BTO surveys
Advocate for a close season for hares in England to protect levereting females