Possibly the first time the hare came to our attention was in Aesop’s Fables when, brimming with arrogance, it challenged the tortoise to a race only to lose. Or perhaps, you came across it in Alice in Wonderland. But wait a bit — did the story not have a white rabbit and a hare in it? Well, we certainly are not splitting hairs over the hare and the rabbit, for while belonging to the same family — Leporidae — they differ from each other in appearance, size and habits. This story is devoted to the Indian hare.
The Indian hare is a wild animal, normally found in jungles, paddy and sugar cane fields, marsh, meadows, foothills and coconut and areca farmlands. While traditional farming encouraged their survival, modern farming techniques have destroyed their habitat. Expansion of towns and cities has aided in the destruction of their habitat.
Solitary by nature and nocturnal, they remain hidden during the day and appear after sunset. They are scientifically known as Lepus nigricollis, the common name being the black-naped hare. They have a patch of black fur along the nape of the neck, hence the name. Their large ears help in excellent hearing and the eyes give 360-degree vision. the long legs help achieve running speeds up to 56 km and jumps as high as 15 feet. Their length ranges from 40 to 70 cm and they weigh up to 6 kg. Females are larger than the males. They eat grass, succulent plants, berries, flowers, buds, herbs and edible bark.
Hares differ from rabbits in several aspects. They are larger than rabbits. Most domestic rabbits we see in homes and zoos are non-Indian. Rabbits are born in burrows, are almost blind and have no fur. They can be easily domesticated and raised as pets or for food. Both animals are a source of fascination for children.
Though hares are prolific breeders and maintain a healthy population through high reproduction, natural predators like the fox, mongoose, wild cat, large owls, snake and several birds of prey hunt them.
Of the many times we saw a hare in the wild, one experience remains unforgettable. At the Top Slip Wildlife Sanctuary, Pollachi, we went for a drive late at night, hopeful of spotting something along the way. And then a few feet away caught in our vehicle’s headlights was a hare peeping out of a bush and about to cross the road. Switching off the engine, we waited, excited at having spotted it.
The hare stayed motionless sitting on its long hind legs, and giving us a good view — it was long-eared, grey and brown with black patches, a short puffy tail and long furred legs. Then the shy and nervous creature took two steps slowly, only to gallop away into the safety of the night.
The sight of a wild hare seems to ignite a killing instinct among people. It is one of the most hunted of all species in India and abroad, being heavily persecuted for its fur and meat. Some observations about these mammals are given below.
Decades ago, while travelling in the front seat of a bus on a chilly and misty morning at 4.30 am, I saw a young hare cuddled behind its mother as they got ready to cross the road. (A young/baby of an Indian hare is called a ‘leveret’. The females are called ‘doe or jill’ and males ‘buck or jack’.) What is a wonderful sight for a wild life enthusiast may not be so for others. The bus driver increased the speed of the vehicle and tried to mow them down. But the hares made good their escape.
Another time, a bus driver on seeing a hare in the middle of the road stopped the vehicle with its headlights on and with a jacket in hand walked toward it silently, making a bid to grab the hare’s neck stealthily from behind. But the animal bolted.
Many a time, these animals seem frozen, caught in the glare of a vehicle’s headlights with their captors then snaring them using their bare hands and taking them away in gunny bags.
Recent action by the forest department against poaching in the districts of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka revealed professional hunters catching 26 hares. Forty such snares have since been destroyed.