Brown hare by Richard Brunton 1/10
Brown hare in a field by Mr Taberham 2/10
Brown hare by Julian Thomas 3/10
Brown hare by Alex McLennan 4/10
Brown hare by Julian Thomas 5/10
Brown hare in a hurry by Richard Brunton 6/10
Brown hare by Julian Thomas 7/10
Brown hare by Elizabeth Dack 8/10
Brown hare by Brian Macfarlane 9/10
Brown hare by Alex McLennan 10/10

Brown Hare Lepus europaeus

The brown hare’s distinctive large ears and characteristic black tips, along with their long hind legs, make them easy to recognise and removes the possibility of confusing them with rabbits. This energetic animal is notorious for displaying erratic behaviour in frivolous chases and frenzied boxing.

Conservation status

Numbers of the once common brown hare have shown a steady decline in England since the 1960s. This may be linked to changes in the way crops are grown and grasslands are managed. Shooting and hare coursing, especially in areas where the hare is already declining, may also have contributed to losses. Norfolk holds nationally important populations of brown hares and, whilst numbers have declined, it remains a stronghold for this species.

Related questions & advice

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Details

Did you know?

A male brown hare is known as a ‘Jack’ and a female a ‘Jill’.

Brown hares may have been introduced by the Romans, or by Iron Age peoples, and the original native hare in Britain was the mountain Hare.

Witches were once thought to have the power to turn into brown hares to escape their enemies.

In folklore the brown hare is associated with fertility and the original Easter bunny was actually a brown hare.

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