Boxing Hares

The following is excerpted from The Leaping Hare by George Ewart Evans and David Thomson.

________________________________

Hares often stand upright on their hind legs to fight. They rely on their hind legs in most of their actions and their balance is superb as can be seen most clearly in the artic hare which does not touch the ground at all with its front paws at high speed. But it seems that they do not use their hind feet as weapons.


Norman Halkett has watched them boxing with their forelegs:

“The hind legs do not so much kick as thump the ground much in the same way as we would stamp our feet rather than give an outright kick. I have heard the thumps quite distinctly; the object seems to be to make a noise and therefore attract attention – possibly some kind of display before the female. Both fore and hind legs are armed with strong claws, sharp and long enough to inflict wounds.” Halkett never saw much damage done.

“I have heard them make funny noises with their feet, sort of thumping on the ground, and occasionally one punches another like kangaroo boxing, or again you couldn’t quite say it’s punching; it’s more like poking at the other fellow.”

– Excerpted from The Leaping Hare by George Ewart and David Thomson (Faber and Faber, 1972), pp. 52-53.


Image 1: “Boxing Hares” by James Lynch.
Image 2: “The Boxing Match” by Sara Richer.
Image 3: “Boxing Hares” by Hannah Giffard.