Public Encounters with the Formosan Hare
More than 90% of the cases where people discover Formosan hares in the wild occur during land clearing, weeding, or orchard maintenance. In these situations, people often come across newborn leverets that were temporarily left behind after their mother fled due to disturbance.
Because many people are not familiar with Taiwan's native hares, they often mistake these young animals for abandoned pet rabbits and take them home. Sadly, by the time they seek help online and learn that the hare is a native wild species, the critical window for the mother's return has often passed.
If you are unsure whether the animal you found is a Formosan hare, please take a clear photo and contact the Rabbit Society or a wildlife rescue organization for identification assistance.
Note: This article refers to Taiwan's native Formosan hare, not domestic pet rabbits.
What to Do If You Find a Wild Hare
Don't hesitate—put it back! The current consensus among wildlife conservation experts in Taiwan is clear: if you come across a wild hare, please return it to the exact spot where you found it and leave quietly.
Most hares found by the public are actually newborn leverets. Unlike domestic rabbits, wild hares are born fully furred and able to open their eyes and move shortly after birth—this is a natural survival trait. That means the mother hare is almost certainly nearby, even if you don't see her.
If you haven't moved far from the place of discovery, simply put the baby hare back where you found it, or as close as possible— ideally within a 50-meter radius in a covered grassy area. The mother will return and take care of her young once things are quiet.
Remember: "the original spot" means the exact location where you picked up the hare. Keeping the distance minimal greatly increases its chances of survival and reunion with its mother.
What to Do If You've Taken a Wild Rabbit Home
If you've already brought a wild rabbit home, the simplest and most responsible thing to do is to contact the Rabbit Society of Taiwan (Taipei or Kaohsiung branches) for further assistance. They have the experience and resources to handle these situations properly.
Many people instinctively seek help online, but that often leads to a flood of strange or inaccurate suggestions from inexperienced individuals. This can leave you confused or even cause harm to the animal. Please remember, you don't need to follow random advice found on the internet. Instead, focus on the following principle:
- If the rabbit has already been brought home,
- If its original nesting area has been disturbed, or
- If the case has been passed around online multiple times,
Then you should immediately contact the Rabbit Society of Taiwan for guidance and rescue assistance. In many of their rescue cases, abandoned baby wild rabbits can sometimes be raised by a lactating domestic rabbit mother under supervision.
Do not post about the rabbit online or hand it over to temporary pet foster homes without expert advice. If you're unable to reach the Rabbit Society, you can also contact the Endemic Species Research Institute in Nantou or the WildOne Wildlife Hospital in Taitung to ask if they can help.
If a Pet Rabbit Rescuer Takes the Wild Rabbit by Mistake
If you overlooked the steps mentioned earlier and, after seeking help online, a pet rabbit rescuer takes in the rabbit to care for it — what should you do?
Please promptly inform the rescuer that the rabbit is not a domestic pet but a native wild Taiwanese hare. Ask them to take the rabbit to the Taiwan Rabbit Society (in Taipei or Kaohsiung) for the necessary follow-up handling.
Note: Not every pet rescuer understands the difference between native wildlife and domesticated animals. Some may oppose releasing animals back into their natural habitat.
Important Notice: Handling Native Rabbits
If you do not return this document during the foster period, please immediately share it with the foster caregiver of the pet rabbit. Politely and tactfully explain that they should avoid treating the rabbit as a pet or allowing others to adopt it freely.
Conservation of native wildlife and caring for domestic pets are two very different matters. Native animals should always be handled by professional organizations to ensure their safety and long-term welfare.
If a foster caregiver distrusts or is unfamiliar with the Love Rabbit Association, they are encouraged to contact other professional institutions such as the Endemic Species Research Institute (Nantou) or the WildOne Wildlife Rescue Center (Taitung) for proper assistance.
What to Do If You Find an Injured Wild Rabbit
If you come across a wild rabbit that is injured, please take immediate action to help. The first step is to bring the rabbit to the nearest wildlife hospital for proper medical treatment. Note that this should not be a regular pet clinic for cats or dogs, as those facilities may not be equipped to handle wild animals safely.
After the animal has received care, ask the hospital staff to contact the Taiwan Rabbit Society (either the Taipei or Kaohsiung branch) as soon as possible. They can provide professional follow-up support and ensure the rabbit is rehabilitated and returned to a suitable environment.
Your quick response can make a life-saving difference for an injured wild rabbit.
The Meaning of Wildlife Release
Many people wonder, "Why release animals back into the wild? Won't they die afterward? Isn't that cruel?" These questions come from compassion, but they also reveal a misunderstanding of nature's way.
Life and death in the wild belong to the natural ecological cycle of native species. Humans were never meant to interfere excessively, especially when it comes to species that are unique to Taiwan. Every creature plays a role in its natural environment, continuing the delicate balance that has developed over millennia.
Take, for example, a small wild hare released into its native habitat. If it survives for a year or two and manages to reproduce several times, it has already fulfilled the mission entrusted to it by nature. This cycle of renewal is not cruelty—it is the essence of life itself.
True kindness lies not in shielding wild animals from their natural challenges, but in respecting the freedom that nature grants them. To let them live, adapt, and contribute to their ecosystem is to honor the rhythm of the wild and the spirit of coexistence.
Should Wild Hares Be Kept as Pets?
From a Conservation Perspective
From a conservation standpoint, both the academic community and research institutions strongly discourage the public from keeping native wild animals—such as the Formosan hare—as pets. Keeping them purely for personal satisfaction has no meaningful benefit for species conservation.
The true purpose of wildlife conservation is to preserve animals in their natural habitats and maintain the integrity of ecological food chains across all levels. Captivity for private enjoyment disrupts this balance rather than supports it.
From a Pet Care Perspective
The Formosan hare is a wild species that has never undergone domestication. Here, "domestication" refers not simply to a tame personality, but to long-term physiological and structural adaptations resulting from evolution alongside humans.
Currently, there is no research showing that commercial rabbit feed, hay, or the overly refined fruits and vegetables marketed for pet rabbits are beneficial—or even suitable—for wild hares. On top of that, veterinary knowledge and clinical resources for wild native species remain very limited.
If you truly wish to care for a rabbit, please choose to adopt a domesticated pet rabbit rather than capturing or raising a wild Formosan hare. Adoption supports responsible animal care without harming local wildlife.
Can Wild Hares in Taiwan Survive in Captivity?
It's often said that wild hares can hardly survive in human care—is that really true? In most cases where people find and try to raise one, the animal is either a newborn kit or an adult hare with serious injuries, such as those caused by hunting traps.
Young hares removed from the wild too early lack their mother's protection and nutrition. Without proper care, they frequently experience sudden electrolyte imbalances or paralysis accompanied by convulsions, leading to unexpected death. As a result, their survival rate is quite low.
Adult hares found after car accidents or caught in traps often die soon after rescue because their bodies are too weak to recover from the trauma. Currently, the survival rate of orphaned baby hares found in Taiwan and hand-raised by people is estimated at about one-third.
There are a few rare examples where citizens—without realizing the challenges—have managed to raise a young hare successfully. However, these isolated successes should not be taken as justification for promoting the keeping or raising of wild hares as pets.
