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Hare
today...
____________________________________________________
Posted: 7th March
2008
Photo: Andy Darrington |
Hare-brained is sometimes how we describe someone or something which is a bit foolish or mad. If you've ever seen a Brown Hare in
the month of March you'll understand where the expression comes from. At this time of year they're particularly daft, and pairs can sometimes be seen chasing each other round and round or standing on their hind legs boxing.
Very often one of the hares is a male and the other is an unreceptive female resisting his advances. The chases can be spectacularly fast as they're capable of
speeds of up to 45mph, and lightning fast acceleration.
Hare Loss
Just over a hundred years ago it was estimated there were about four million brown hares in Britain. Recent surveys show there could be as few as 800,000 left, and the population continues to decline. Possible reasons for this decline are the intensification of agricultural land and the destruction of hedgerows depriving them of both food and shelter.
Fair Game?
Despite its decline, the hare is still treated as a game species in Britain, and remarkably there is still no closed shooting season, except Sundays and Christmas Day. It's believed that organised shoots during February and March can account for 40% of the entire national brown hare population. With the breeding season well under way by February, orphaned leverets are left to starve to death.
Coursing
Another problem faced by hares (and landowners) is illegal hare coursing,
which still continues in many parts of the UK. Hare coursing is basically the pursuit of hares using hounds. Participants form a line across a field about 20-30 metres apart and disturb the hare from it's resting place. They then release their dogs onto the hare and participants bet on which dog will catch the hare first.
Large sums of money are often involved. The hares are usually left in the
fields where they are killed. It's an activity which tends to increase in the autumn and the spring when the hares are easier to spot.
Police forces around the UK are putting more and more resources into wildlife crimes like hare coursing. It's often the case that when a hare coursing event takes place in an area, other crimes take place around the same time, so the Police do take reports of hare coursing seriously. The crime is punishable with a six-month jail sentence and fines of up to £5,000. Anyone convicted of hare-coursing also risks having their dogs and vehicles forfeited. If you see
a hare coursing event taking place, never approach the participants - they can be violent. Instead, try to make a note of vehicle details and descriptions and tell the Police as quickly as possible.
Young Hares
If you do come across baby hares (leverets) apparently abandoned in a field it's not necessarily something to be concerned about. The mother often leaves the young during the day, and
returns at dusk to feed them. Leverets shouldn't be disturbed unless they are clearly in immediate danger,
i.e. in the path of farm machinery.
The Easter Bunny
Did you know the Easter Bunny, portrayed nowadays as a rabbit, was
originally a hare? In pre-Christian times the hare was the traditional
spring animal. The hare was the sacred animal of the goddess Eostre - the
goddess of the dawn. It's easy to see why. It's difficult to imagine a better sight on a
spring morning than hares jousting and boxing on fresh green grass, lit by low, golden,
sunlight.
At one time hare hunts were traditionally held at Easter. It has changed a
lot, but the tradition still continues to this day - albeit in a much more
humane way. Children on Easter egg hunts are actually hunting for eggs in
imaginary hare's nests.
 New
Zoom Monocular
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Related Links:
UK Safari Brown Hare File
UK Safari Mammal Section
UK Safari News
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