Brown Hare Welfare in Agricultural Landscapes

Brown hares have declined significantly in the UK due to agricultural intensification, and targeted management improvements directly improve their welfare.

Key Facts

UK brown hare populations have declined by approximately 80% since the 1960s
They require a mosaic of arable and grassland habitats with field margin refugia
Leverets are born fully furred but are left in forms by their mothers and are vulnerable to disturbance
Agricultural machinery operations during harvest cause significant direct mortality
Agri-environment scheme management including conservation headlands significantly benefits hares

Welfare Considerations

Brown hare welfare is threatened primarily by habitat loss and direct mortality from agricultural operations. Leveret disturbance and mortality during grass mowing and cereal harvesting causes significant individual welfare harm. Cutting fields from the outside in — rather than the inside out — allows leverets and adults to escape ahead of machinery. Agri-environment measures creating beetle banks, conservation headlands, and ungrazed field margins provide refuge habitat that reduces vulnerability to agricultural operations.

What You Can Do

Support hare-friendly farming by advocating for agri-environment scheme uptake
Encourage farmers to adopt outside-in mowing patterns during grass cutting operations
Report hare coursing incidents to the police — it remains a significant welfare and legal issue
Contribute to national hare surveys to track population recovery on managed sites