Wild Hare Leverets Welfare | Animal Welfare Hub

Brown hare leverets are born above ground and are vulnerable to agricultural operations and disturbance during their hidden juvenile period.

Key Facts

Hare leverets are born fully furred with eyes open but hide in forms across the doe's range
Mothers visit only briefly to suckle at dusk, limiting disturbance to their young
Agricultural machinery during silage making is a primary cause of leveret mortality
Dogs off lead disturbing leverets can prevent doe return and cause starvation
Leverets should not be handled unless clearly injured as handling prevents mother return

Welfare Considerations

Hare leverets apparently alone in fields are almost always waiting for their mother's nightly visit. Human interference including handling and 'rescue' prevents the mother's return and causes actual abandonment. Agricultural operations that do not account for leveret presence cause acute trauma and death. The primary welfare interventions are public education preventing well-intentioned harm and agricultural best practice guidance for operations in hare habitats during levereting season.

What You Can Do

Never handle or move hare leverets unless clearly injured - mothers return at dusk
Advocate for pre-mowing leveret checks in agricultural guidance for silage operations
Support Brown Hare conservation through GWCT and local Wildlife Trusts