The black-naped hare, or the Indian hare, is so commonly found in the wild in India that it is described as a species of Least Concern by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and accorded least protection by India’s Wildlife (Protection) Act. But a recent spurt in poaching of this animal in South India has wildlifers worried.
This came to light earlier this month when forest officials nabbed 21 poachers involved in the hunting of the Indian hare (Lepus nigricollis) in Virudhunagar district of Tamil Nadu.
“That the black-naped hare, a cute, playful species of the tropical forests would land in such a death trap could never be known to me until we unearthed a big poaching racket involving scores of people and lots of live and dead specimens. This was the result of a special drive that we conducted whole of the first week of September,” said Shekhar Kumar Niraj, Conservator of Forests, Virudhunagar Circle, and Director of Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve.
He siad, “Although the indications are that a particular community in Sivaganga and Virudhunagar districts (Old Kamraj district) of Tamil Nadu are systematically involved in its poaching, along with partridges (Phasianidae) and the Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus), we found college students were also part of the poacher gang – an entirely new phenomenon.”
What came as a revelation to the forest officials was that there is a large network of gangs which poach and hunt this species and transport them from one district to another using public transport. They use very specialised gears, including conical shaped strong nets and searchlights fitted with buzzers that attract the animals towards the light. They pay about Rs 3,000 to acquire one such trap. Being a nocturnal animal, the hare gets drawn towards the light and is then swiftly netted. The gangs are out during the nights to pre-surveyed sites to trap the animals. These are then huddled away in gunny bags and transported to the destinations.
Killing of these hares can directly affect jungle cats, mongoose, jackals and foxes, as the hares are the main prey for these small mammals in the forest. If the hare population dwindles, the survival of the small mammals would be affected automatically.
The Indian hare is distributed throughout India, except the high reaches of the Himalayas and mangrove areas within the Sundarbans. The geographic distribution extends into eastern Pakistan, southern Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh excluding the Sundarbans. It is thought to occur in Bhutan as well, but exact locations are not known. This species can be found at elevations ranging from 50-4,500 m. There are many subspecies in India occupying different regions and habitat types. There are, in fact, seven.
The Lepus nigricollis can be seen in wide variety of habitats such as short grasslands, barren agricultural fields, crop fields, and forest roads. The species can be seen in forests of many types other than the mangroves and tall grassland habitats. It breeds throughout the year, but the peak breeding season is during the monsoon season.
According to IUCN, major threats for the species include habitat destruction and conversion of prime forest areas for agricultural purposes, as well as intensive hunting by locals for meat. Individual hares, especially the young ones living in the forest areas, are subjected to predation by carnivorous mammals and birds. The species is listed under Schedule IV of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. No specific conservation action has been framed so far to protect the species in the wild. The IUCN Red List had remarked, “Further taxonomic research is needed for this species, as well as increased public awareness.”
Added Niraj, “Previously, it had appeared that the hare was being hunted sporadically for meat, which is soft and considered a delicacy among the local communities. But since the last four months when we started collecting intelligence and launched a special drive, it came as a shocking revelation to us that poaching of this species is driven by a great trade demand.
“Look at the volume – in eight raids that we conducted during the last four months, we have arrested 39 people involved in poaching and seized more 50 animals. The offenders have used public transport, private vehicles, and local transport to move the animals (mostly live). The initial interrogation had indicated to a much larger and well-organised poaching and trade network. We are working on leads. But there are unanswered questions yet. Is the skin (of the hare) also in demand? Is this a delicacy in star hotels?”
