Wildlife

Brown Hare Welfare in Open Agricultural Landscapes

The brown hare has declined by around 80% since the 1880s and is now one of the UK's most threatened mammals, entirely dependent on sympathetic farmland management.

Key Facts

UK population fell from around 4 million in the 1880s to under 800,000 today
Lives entirely above ground with no burrow for refuge
Young leverets are born fully furred and hidden in forms
Most vulnerable at harvest when machinery runs through crops
Coursing with dogs was legal until the Hunting Act 2004

Welfare Considerations

Hares suffer from agricultural intensification through loss of food and cover, direct kills during harvesting, and persecution through illegal hare coursing which is still a significant problem. Survey-led habitat management on farms has demonstrated clear population recovery benefits.

What You Can Do

Report illegal hare coursing to police immediately
Support RSPB and Wildlife Trust farmland hare conservation projects
Encourage landowners to delay hedge and verge cutting until August
Back agri-environment schemes that retain rough grass for hares
Participate in Great British Hare Count surveys