The Unique Plight of the Taiwanese Hare
The Taiwanese hare faces not only the common threats experienced by many wild animals—such as capture, roadkills, habitat destruction, and attacks from stray animals—but also a particularly unusual one: being neutered after being mistaken for a pet rabbit.
Many well-intentioned people rescue injured or young Taiwanese hares and decide to keep them as pets. Unfortunately, unaware of the species' wild and protected status, they often have the animals sterilized. However, this action, though done out of kindness, prevents these hares from fulfilling their ecological role of reproducing and maintaining their natural population in the wild.
This situation reflects a broader issue: a lack of basic understanding about wildlife conservation among the public. While neutering domesticated pets is generally a responsible and commendable practice, applying the same treatment to native wild species—especially those that should be returned to the forest—can cause great harm. As the saying goes, "a good deed done the wrong way can lead to bad results."
The Taiwanese Hare's Distinct Challenges
- They are more likely than other native species to be mistaken for domestic pet rabbits.
- Once mistaken as pets, many are neutered, preventing them from breeding.
- Even veterinarians who do not specialize in cats and dogs often lack awareness of conservation concerns regarding native species.
- Among pet rabbit owners, there is limited social awareness or mutual encouragement to avoid adopting wild hares.
To truly help these animals, any Taiwanese hare found should be released back into its natural habitat as the first priority—rather than kept as a pet or sterilized.
Awareness on Rescuing and Caring for Wild Hares in Taiwan
According to information collected by the Association, there have been several cases in which rabbit owners or temporary caregivers accidentally came across wild hares and, for various reasons, decided to keep them as pets and have them neutered. Some even shared these experiences on the internet or within online groups.
However, the Rabbit Lovers Association sincerely advises that no matter the situation, if someone unintentionally ends up caring for a Taiwanese wild hare, they should report it to the Association as soon as possible so that it can be properly documented. The Association will not force anyone to surrender the animal.
At this stage, only through collective cooperation can we effectively organize available information and transform these experiences into meaningful scientific data and statistics. This joint effort will provide an important foundation for future research and policy-making related to wildlife conservation in Taiwan.
The Body Memory of Wild Animals
The body memory of wild animals does not vanish simply because they are raised by humans. Some owners justify keeping wild animals as pets by claiming they have been domesticated, but this "domestication" merely represents a temporary shift in living habits rather than true scientific domestication. Using this excuse to continue keeping native wild species as pets is, in fact, inappropriate.
According to observations from the Wild Rabbit Project of the Rabbit Welfare Association, two wild Taiwanese hares that had been kept as pets for extended periods — three and five years, respectively — still retained distinct wild behaviors even after such long-term human care. These ingrained physical memories do not fade away. With proper rewilding training, these hares could still return to their natural habitat. The only irreversible factor is sterilization, which permanently prevents full reintegration.
Instincts Hardly Altered by Human Care
- Daytime stillness and camouflage posture.
- Rapid leap to escape when startled.
- Higher energy during dawn and dusk.
- Alertness toward unfamiliar lights or sounds.
- No habit of thumping hind legs.
- Distinct "tap-tap-tap" sound during high alert.
- Striking forepaw gesture as a warning signal.
- Frantic jumping movements when frightened.
These behaviors reveal that the essence of wild life persists deeply within the body— a reminder that human captivity can alter surface habits, but not the primal rhythms written into their nature.
The Wild Nature of Formosan Hares
Baby Formosan hares are often mistaken for domestic pets and brought home to be raised. Despite years of care in captivity, their natural instincts remain strong.
Even after more than three years in human care, a startled wild hare will still react with violent leaps and frantic movement. This behavior shows that no matter how long they live alongside people, their wild nature never truly disappears.
Researchers have observed significant differences in the hares' activity levels between daytime and nighttime. The yellow lines in monitoring data represent motion sensor records, clearly showing their nocturnal tendencies.
The Tug-of-War Between Wildlife Conservation and Animal Protection
The general public's understanding of wildlife is often very superficial. For most people, their knowledge of wild animals comes from a handful of well-known "flagship species," such as the Formosan leopard cat. Outside of these celebrity animals, awareness of other wild species remains quite limited.
Take the Formosan hare as an example—especially its young. These native rabbits embody nearly every quality people associate with domestic pets: they are cute, furry, small, soft, and non-aggressive. Because of this, many people mistakenly treat them as potential pets and take them home to raise.
Unfortunately, young Formosan hares are extremely difficult to care for in captivity, particularly for those without specialized knowledge. As a result, most of them die soon after being removed from the wild. The few that survive often face another challenge—being sterilized and permanently confined to human care. In the end, even their survival becomes detached from the natural life they were meant to live.
Taiwan's Wild Hares: Misunderstood Strays
Most of the wild hares found and rescued in Taiwan are actually young kits. Because of their small size and gentle appearance, they are often mistaken for abandoned pet rabbits and taken home for care. As a result, posts about adopting or keeping a "wild" baby rabbit as a pet frequently appear on social media.
Regional Traits in Baby Hares
Interestingly, infant wild hares from different regions of Taiwan show slight variations in the markings on their foreheads. This unique feature only exists during the juvenile stage and fades as the animals mature. Wildlife experts use these markings to study local populations and better understand the ecological distinctions between regions.
Note: If you encounter a baby hare in the wild, it's best not to take it home. Many of these young hares are temporarily left alone by their mothers, who return later to feed them.
The Overlooked Taiwanese Hare
The Taiwanese hare deserves far more attention than it currently receives. As seen in this example, even though this animal lives so close to us, the majority of people remain unfamiliar with it. Few realize that the Taiwanese hare is the only member of the rabbit family native to Taiwan.
What makes this species even more special is that it is a true endemic subspecies, meaning it evolved uniquely on the island and exists nowhere else on Earth. Its disappearance would not just mark a loss for Taiwan's wildlife, but an irreversible extinction of an entire lineage.
Recognizing and valuing the Taiwanese hare is crucial if we hope to preserve Taiwan's unique natural heritage. Conservation begins with awareness, and every effort to learn about and protect this remarkable creature counts.
The Truth About Taiwan's Wild Cats
Take the Formosan leopard cat, one of the most talked-about animals in Taiwan today. Although it is the island's only remaining native wild cat species, the leopard cat is actually not endemic to Taiwan—nor is it a unique subspecies. Many people mistakenly believe it exists only here.
In fact, there's another feline-like creature that deserves more attention: the Taiwanese masked palm civet. Unlike the leopard cat, this member of the Viverridae (civet) family is a true endemic subspecies of Taiwan—and its population is even scarcer.
Protecting Taiwan's biodiversity means understanding such distinctions clearly. Awareness, education, and scientific accuracy all play a vital role in ensuring these rare species survive in the wild for generations to come.
