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Raising Hares

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Raising Hares Photographs by Andy Rouse/naturepl.com The agility and grace of the European hare (Lepus europaeus) is a familiar sight in the British countryside, and their spirited springtime antics mark the end of winter in the minds of many. Despite their similarities in appearance to the European rabbit, the life history and behaviour of the European hare differs significantly from that of their smaller cousins. We join photographer Andy Rouse as he captures the story of the hare and discovers the true meaning of ‘Mad as a March hare’. Brown hares are widespread throughout central and west- ern Europe, including most of the UK, where they were thought to be introduced by the Romans. “I’ve been passionate about watching and photographing hares for years”, says Rouse. “They are always a challenge because they’re so wary and elusive. Getting decent images usually requires hours of lying quietly in a ditch! So I was de- lighted when I found a unique site in Southern England that has a thriving population of hares”. “Hares are wonderful to work with”, says Rouse. “Concentrating on one population opens up much greater opportunities than photo- graphing at a multitude of sites. It has been such a pleasure getting to know individuals on this project”. “I took these images at a former WWI airfield”, says Rouse. “It is the oldest in the world and still in use, with grass runways. The alternation of cut and long grass provides ideal habitat for hares, which are traditionally found along field margins”. “The hares here are used to people so it’s easier to observe them and predict their behaviour”, says Rouse. “I was able to learn the safe distance to approach them without causing a disturbance”. Normally a shy and mainly nocturnal animal, the European brown hare changes its behaviour in spring, when they can be seen in broad daylight chasing one another around meadows. Chases represent competition between males to attain dominance status and access to breeding females. Courtship entails boxing; the well-known ‘mad March hare’ behaviour actually involves unreceptive females fending off amorous males, rather than competition between males, as was previously thought. ‘Mad’ hares are not only seen in March - the breeding season runs through to August. “Several males will often compete for the attention of a single female”, says Rouse. “This individual was somewhat outnumbered”! “Circumstances were ideal when I shot this se- quence”, says Rouse. “The female was a com- petent fighter and caught the male several times with a well-aimed straight hook”! “During the course of this project I learnt a few new things about hare behaviour”, says Rouse. “For example, I didn’t know that they sometimes bite each other when boxing!” Breeding usually occurs between February and September, with a gestation period of 42 days. Females typically give birth to around three litters each year of two to four young, called leverets. Unlike rabbit kittens, leverets are born fully furred and with their eyes open, adapted to the lack of physical protection. Hares do not live in burrows like rabbits. Instead, they rest and sleep in shallow scrapes in the ground called ‘forms’. Parental care of leverets is limited, the female leaves the young unattended in their form during the day so as not to alert predators to their location. She returns to suckle and later leads them out to graze. Weaning occurs after about a month. Hares are much longer-limbed and swifter than rabbits. They use their powerful hind legs to escape predation by outrunning their enemies. Hares are the UK’s fastest land mammal - capable of reaching speeds of up to 45mph. As might be guessed from the magnitude of their distinctive black-tiped ears, European hares have excellent hearing. “Hares groom themselves regularly”, says Rouse “They wash their feet and faces in the same way cats do. I was surprised to see that they have webbing between their toes”. The European hare’s diet consists of mainly herb grasses and agricultural crops, particularly the early growth stag- es of cereals and root crops. In the winter they also eat twigs, buds and the bark of shrubs and young trees. “For such a large animal, hares are remarkably good at hiding”, says Rouse. “They can conceal themselves in 6 inches of grass by sitting still and flattening themselves to the ground. The flatness of the airfield where I was working added to the challenge of getting close to them”. Hares face a number of threats, predominant- ly linked to the modernisation of agricultural practices. The removal of hedgerows and field margins has reduced foraging and breeding habitat, as well as cover, for hares. “My hare knowledge has been gained by painful experience but also from local gamekeepers who know old tricks that have long been forgotten by most”, says Rouse. Summer evenings are a good time to spot hares because they come out earlier (before dusk) and are still active at dawn. “Watching hares in late summer is magical”, says Rouse. “The leverets come out in the evening to wait for their mothers. They are very self-sufficient at an early age and have lots of personality. Maybe this is why people like hares so much and they have such a strong place in folklore”. For more information on this story please contact Tim Aldred - [email protected] Search www.naturepl.com for ‘Rouse Hares‘.
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