The Irish Wildlife Trust is launching its “Mad March Hare” Video Competition for the month of March to help promote this charismatic species and the threats it faces to the Irish public.
March is the mating season of hares when “mad March hares” are often seen boxing each other. Contrary to popular belief, the fighting is not typically of males fighting over the opportunity to fight over a female but is in fact females fighting off the advances of unwanted males.
To take part in the campaign, we would like you to do two things:
- Record video footage of Irish hares boxing and post it on the IWT Facebook page
- Submit sightings of rabbits and hares (Brown or Irish) to the Atlas of Mammals in Ireland run by the National Biodiversity Data Centre. Records can be submitted online at here or by downloading the Irish Land Mammals App, which is available on android smart phones.
Alternatively you can email the IWT your sightings (preferably with photos) at iwtmadmarchhare@gmail.com
The person with the best video of boxing hares will be awarded a copy of “Mammals of the British Isles: Handbook”, kindly donated by the Mammal Society, and the IWT Mad March Hare Certificate.
