#irish hare

Today I just learned that Ireland is one of a handful of EU countries where hare coursing is still legal. There was a Dáil motion to ban the sport just recently, but this was opposed by Government party TDs.

For coursing in Ireland, hares are caught from the wild and often transported and kept together; which is in itself stressful, as hares are usually solitary animals. They may then be subject to ‘training’ sessions, in which they are urged to run and familiarise themselves with the space where they will be coursed.

During the coursing spectacle, the hare is chased over either an enclosed or open area by sighthound dogs. The dogs are awarded points based on how they demonstrate their speed and agility. By law, dogs must be muzzled while coursing; however, some illegal events still feature unmuzzled dogs which may bite and kill the hare, and even when muzzled, the sheer force of the dog can cause injury upon contact.

When the spectacle is over, the hare is released back into the wild. I do personally have to wonder at the hare’s fate afterwards, however…are they always released back where they were taken from? Or do they end up in completely unfamiliar territories? Hares regularly face threat from predators in wild scenarios; but being trapped and contained by humans, ‘trained’ (i.e. frightened more), pursued by dogs, all over a considerable length of time before finally being set free again…knowing how easy it is for small animals to succumb to shock, what is it like for hares to go back to the wild after being traumatised in such an unnatural way?