The Hidden Struggles of Wild Hares in Taiwan
In recent years, there have been numerous reports online about people finding wild hares—especially baby hares—and claiming to have returned them to the wild. However, later follow-ups by volunteers have revealed a different story. Only a small number of rescuers actually release these animals back into their original habitats.
Most people, despite their good intentions, simply let the hares go in nearby parks or open green spaces, far from where they were initially found. This well-meaning yet misguided behavior illustrates a larger issue: very few members of the public are willing to take the time or effort to return wild hares to their true native environments.
Beyond this human factor, Taiwan's native wild hare population faces several serious challenges threatening their survival:
- Habitat loss and roadkill incidents.
- Lack of long-term research and monitoring data.
- Pressure from abandoned domestic dogs and cats.
- Incorrect human intervention by the general public.
- Genetic decline due to inbreeding.
Protecting wild hares requires more than short-term compassion—it demands an understanding of proper wildlife rescue practices, public education, and stronger conservation efforts to preserve their diminishing habitats.
1. Habitat Loss and Roadkill
In recent years, large-scale urban development and the construction of photovoltaic power plants have severely compressed and fragmented the habitats of native hares. As their natural environments shrink and lose protective barriers, these wild hares are gradually disappearing from the landscape.
Taiwan's current highway system offers very few wildlife-friendly corridors or crossing designs. According to data collected by the Endemic Species Research Institute's "Roadkill Society," nearly 150 cases of identifiable roadside hare collisions were reported between 2017 and 2022. This count excludes cases in which the animals were so badly crushed that identification was impossible.
When unreported and unidentifiable cases are considered, the actual number of hare roadkills is likely much higher. The data underline the urgent need for more ecological planning and wildlife passageways in Taiwan's transportation infrastructure.
2. Lack of Long-Term Research on Taiwanese Hares
There is a significant lack of long-term research data on Taiwanese hares. Up to now, there have been fewer than five academic papers specifically focusing on this species, even though these animals live in close proximity to people across Taiwan. In reality, the general public's understanding of the Taiwanese hare is very limited. Most existing records come from incidental observations made during other research projects, meaning they are fragmentary and not supported by comprehensive field experience or practical knowledge of care.
The majority of available field survey data have not been updated for quite some time. At present, there appears to be no expert dedicated to long-term research on the Taiwanese hare. (If such an expert does exist, we sincerely hope to be informed—our association would be eager to arrange a visit.) Moreover, much of the information available online today seems to be reworked or republished content derived from articles released by rabbit welfare organizations more than a decade ago.
3. Survival Pressure from Abandoned Cats and Dogs
In recent years, abandoned domestic cats and dogs have greatly threatened the survival of native wild hares. Cats, in particular, possess a strong instinct to hunt—often killing prey for sport even when not hungry. This behavior has led to the collapse of entire hare populations within their natural habitats.
Beyond the issue of people feeding stray animals in the wild, a new problem has emerged. Some government agencies periodically release animals from shelters into nature under so-called "TNVR trial programs" (Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Release). Additionally, animal lovers who feed cats and dogs in ecologically sensitive areas unintentionally attract these predators into habitats where hares live.
As a result, these once-safe wild zones have turned into hunting grounds for stray cats and dogs—posing a significant threat to the balance of local ecosystems.
4. When Good Intentions Harm: Misguided Rescue of Taiwan's Wild Hares
The Problem of Mistaken Identity
In Taiwan, many members of the public are unfamiliar with the differences between native wild hares and domestic pet rabbits. This lack of understanding has led to frequent cases where young wild hares—mistaken for abandoned pet rabbits—are taken away from their natural habitats.
Tragic Consequences of Misguided Rescue
These well-intentioned acts often lead to tragedy. Young wild hares that could have been rescued and survived in the wild are instead removed from their environment and subjected to improper care. Because wild hares have specific needs distinct from domestic rabbits, many of these animals die within a short period after being taken in.
A Dilemma of Captivity and Sterilization
In a few rare cases, some hares do survive under domestic care. However, these survivors often face another problem: they are treated as pet rabbits and undergo sterilization. This is an unusual circumstance rarely seen in other wildlife species, yet it has truly occurred among Taiwan's wild hares. Having been neutered and accustomed to human environments, these animals face a difficult question—should they be released back into the wild, or kept in captivity where they no longer threaten the gene pool?
The Appeal of the Young
Unfortunately, baby hares, with their small size and innocent appearance, are most vulnerable to being mistaken for pet rabbits and "rescued" from the wild. What begins as an affectionate gesture from animal lovers can end up disrupting wildlife populations and depriving these creatures of their natural lives.
5. Genetic Inbreeding Depression in Wild Hares
Due to various forms of land development such as roads, water facilities, and drainage systems, the habitats of wild hare populations have been fragmented. This separation prevents different hare families from interbreeding freely, leading to a reduced genetic pool.
As the rate of inbreeding among close relatives rises, signs of genetic inbreeding depression begin to appear within the same population. When harmful genetic traits emerge within a single family and cannot be naturally filtered out through genetic diversity, that particular family becomes vulnerable to extinction over time.
Once this process progresses across the entire habitat, the local population of wild hares ultimately faces extinction. This chain reaction highlights the ecological importance of habitat connectivity and the preservation of natural corridors for wildlife movement and genetic exchange.
An Example of Inbreeding Depression
The image above illustrates an example of inbreeding depression. In this case, gene a represents a harmful recessive allele, while gene A is the dominant allele that suppresses the effects of a.
When a population becomes too small, individuals are more likely to inherit identical alleles from their parents. As a result, the frequency of homozygous recessive genotypes (aa) increases. These combinations often express harmful traits, making affected animals less adapted to their surrounding environments.
This process demonstrates why maintaining genetic diversity is vital for the health and resilience of animal populations. Conservation strategies often aim to prevent such inbreeding effects by ensuring a wide genetic pool within vulnerable species.
The Extinction of Hong Kong's Native Hares: A Warning for Taiwan
Did you know that Hong Kong once had its own native hare species closely related to the Taiwanese hare? Sadly, that species has already gone extinct.
Because wild hares used to be commonly seen, they were overlooked and never given serious conservation attention. As urban expansion, infrastructure growth, and water management projects continuously fragmented their habitats, efforts and resources were mainly concentrated on a few "flagship" species. By the time people realized something was wrong, the Hong Kong hare had already disappeared from the wild.
Doesn't this story sound strikingly similar to what Taiwan's native hare is facing today? If people continue to rely on generalized online information—such as tales of rabbit overpopulation in Australia—or cling to the outdated belief that hares are still abundant everywhere, then Taiwan's hares may soon meet the same fate as Hong Kong's.
Note: The Australian rabbit is not the same species as the Taiwanese hare in biological classification.
References: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species; List of Mammals of Hong Kong. Species marked "EX" are considered extinct.
Low OI Values of the Formosan Hare
Recent ecological survey reports using automated cameras in wetlands, protected areas, and forest zones have revealed striking differences among local wildlife populations. In the target region, the Observation Index (OI) of the Formosan hare (Lepus sinensis formosus) remains extremely low, ranging only from 0 to 1.18.
In comparison, other mammals such as the masked palm civet show OI values as high as 61.3, the ferret-badger about 20.0, and the crab-eating mongoose around 21.78. These disparities highlight the hare's relatively low visibility or population density in those monitored habitats.
Ecologists suggest that this could be linked to factors such as habitat loss, competition, or changes in vegetation structure. Further long-term monitoring may help clarify whether the Formosan hare's population is stable or requires additional conservation action.
