evidence of hare remains. Neither is there any evidence that predator control contributes to Irish hare conservation and it may be counter-productive by disrupting the equilibrium of predator population dynamics.
Busy roads and heavy traffic may take their toll on wildlife in general, but hare casualties on the road are rare, a further indication that this is a species at a very low population level.
Busy roads and heavy traffic may take their toll on wildlife in general, but hare casualties on the road are rare, a further indication that this is a species at a very low population level.
Numbers of Irish hares have dramatically declined within the last 30 years resulting in dangerously low population levels. Surveys carried out in Northern Ireland between 2002 and 2009 have produced estimates of between 1 hare/Km² and 5 hares/Km². The existing time-series data suggest Irish hare population cycles every three years with a clear overall downward temporal trend. After taking account of these cycles, the Irish hare population in Northern Ireland exhibits a net decline of approximately 25% every three years.
People who live in rural areas report that hare numbers are only a fraction of what they once were, often reporting local extinction. Irish hares population is fragmented and exist as local populations. These groups are susceptible to systematic depletion, and their disappearance constitutes a threat to the whole species.
There is no evidence to suggest that predators such as foxes have contributed to the decline in Irish hare numbers. Predation has most impact on populations when numbers are abundant however, this does not apply to the current status of the Irish hare. Healthy adult hares face little threat from predators, although leverets may be vulnerable
The absence of cover as a result of farming and inappropriate land management practices may be the most significant factor in hare predation. The popular notion that foxes have been responsible for declining hare numbers is little more than a myth. Fox scat analysis returned a ‘low frequency’ of hare remains and only 3% of a sample of fox stomach contents showed
People who live in rural areas report that hare numbers are only a fraction of what they once were, often reporting local extinction. Irish hares population is fragmented and exist as local populations. These groups are susceptible to systematic depletion, and their disappearance constitutes a threat to the whole species.
There is no evidence to suggest that predators such as foxes have contributed to the decline in Irish hare numbers. Predation has most impact on populations when numbers are abundant however, this does not apply to the current status of the Irish hare. Healthy adult hares face little threat from predators, although leverets may be vulnerable
The absence of cover as a result of farming and inappropriate land management practices may be the most significant factor in hare predation. The popular notion that foxes have been responsible for declining hare numbers is little more than a myth. Fox scat analysis returned a ‘low frequency’ of hare remains and only 3% of a sample of fox stomach contents showed
Foxes are not responsible for the decline in Irish hares
Two areas of real concern, which are examined in detail, are modern farming practices and unsustainable taking of hares for hunting and coursing.
