Irish hare is now an endangered species

THE recent conviction of a Co Westmeath-based coursing club for trapping hares without a licence serves as yet another reminder that our hare population is threatened by a practice that involves netting and baiting these gentle creatures for ‘sport’.

Apart from such obvious breaches of the rules governing hare coursing, there is absolutely no excuse for this barbaric cruelty. It is not a form of pest control — the hare is utterly harmless — and the sport has no conservation value whatsoever. Its sole purpose is to entertain at the expense of extreme and unnecessary animal suffering.

While opposition to hare coursing is based mainly on animal welfare concerns, there is another reason why it should be outlawed immediately.

The Parks and Wildlife Service and Ireland’s red data book on wildlife both warn that the Irish hare is now an endangered species.

It was the proven scarcity of hares in Northern Ireland that prompted the authorities there to suspend all coursing activities two years ago.

As hare density is uniform throughout the island — the border being totally irrelevant in this instance — it is reasonable to expect our own incoming environment minister to enact a hare preservation order similar to that in force up North.

John Fitzgerald

Lr Coyne Street

Callan

Co Kilkenny