Brown Hare Welfare: Agricultural Change and Population Recovery

Brown hares have declined by 80% since 1960 due to agricultural intensification, with ongoing welfare concerns from hare coursing, road mortality and loss of mixed farming landscapes.

Key Facts

UK brown hare population estimated at 820,000, down from 4 million in 1960
Hare coursing with dogs was banned under the Hunting Act 2004 but illegal events persist
Road mortality is particularly significant for leverets in arable areas
Agri-environment scheme options including overwinter stubble benefit hare populations

Welfare Considerations

Hares caught in illegal coursing events experience acute predation terror as dogs pursue and catch them. Road mortality kills leverets and adults, with young animals particularly vulnerable in spring when crop cover is low. Loss of winter stubble and mixed farming landscapes reduces food availability and cover throughout the year. The combination of hunting pressure and habitat loss makes brown hare welfare a landscape management issue requiring multiple simultaneous interventions.

What You Can Do

Report suspected illegal hare coursing to police rural crime units
Support Hare Preservation Trust advocacy and monitoring
Donate to countryside stewardship applications maintaining overwinter stubble
Advocate for agri-environment funding for mixed farming landscapes beneficial to hares