Brown Hare Welfare: Coursing, Habitat Loss, and Conservation in the UK

The brown hare (Lepus europaeus) has declined by 80% in the UK since the 1960s due to agricultural intensification. Illegal hare coursing — where dogs chase hares for gambling entertainment — remains a welfare problem in rural areas, and its abolition through the Hunting Act 2004 is incompletely enforced.

Key Facts

Brown hare populations have declined by approximately 80% in the UK since the 1960s, primarily from agricultural intensification
Illegal hare coursing was banned under the Hunting Act 2004 but continues in arable regions of eastern England
Hares chased by lurchers in coursing events experience extreme fear, exhaustion, and injury from dog bites
Winter crops and reduced spring fallows have eliminated the diverse habitat structure hares require for cover and food
Brown hares do not use burrows — leverets are born above ground and rely on concealment in long grass for survival

Welfare Considerations

Hares chased during illegal coursing experience acute fear responses comparable to other prey species — elevated cortisol, sustained anaerobic activity, and exhaustion. Capture by coursing dogs causes traumatic injuries including puncture wounds, fractures, and death. Police operations against hare coursing have increased significantly since 2021, but geographic coverage remains incomplete. Agricultural management that eliminates hedgerows, field margins, and grass leys removes the cover hares need for resting and leverets for concealment. Welfare in both illegal coursing and agricultural habitat contexts requires legal enforcement and farming practice change.

What You Can Do

Report illegal hare coursing to Police AntiCriminalityAlert (police.uk) or local rural crime teams
Support RSPCA and BASC campaigns for improved Hunting Act enforcement against hare coursing
Advocate for agri-environment scheme payments for grass margins and stubble retention benefiting brown hares
Donate to the Hare Preservation Trust's population monitoring and habitat guidance programs
Choose food products from farms participating in Higher Level Stewardship schemes with hare habitat measures