Hand Rearing a Baby Hare Leveret

People sometimes come across baby hares, known as leverets who have been somehow moved from their mother's nest or carried away by cats, birds or dogs or other predators. The Rabbit Sanctuary has set up an educational help group for people wanting to raise baby hairs, leverets. Here is a link to join our Hare Raisers facebook support group...

HARE RAISERS Public group · 386 members Join Group A group for those that love hares and raising them to release to a safe hare habitat. A Rabbit Sanctuary educational group.

HARES IN QLD NOT ILLEGAL

Hares are not illegal in Queensland

Why that is so...

Hares are not prohibited as exotic pets in any state or territory - hares are specifically excluded as an Invasive Animal under Schedule 1 Part 4 of the Queensland Biosecurity Act 2014.. Find out more on this link.

https://www.qld.gov.au/families/government/pets/pages/keeping-exotic-animals-as-pets-in-queensland.html

It is not well known that hares are a different species to rabbits.

It is not well known that in Queensland the rabbit is illegal to keep as a pet.

Many people refer to Wild Rabbits as Hares. This is incorrect. Hares are a different species to rabbits.

The Hare is from the same family as the rabbit but that's where the connection stops.

Hares as pets

Because hares are wild animals they can not be kept in a cage.  They tend to need to return to a natural habitat when they reach around 4 months old. 

When we rescue a baby hare we hand feed him or her and train the tiny baby leveret to use a litter tray.  We move them to The Rabbit Sanctuary to live in a natural and safe bush setting away from roads. 

Fostering a baby hare (leveret)

We get quite a bit of enquiry from Queenslanders to adopt a baby hare known as a leveret.  This is because they are very like rabbits and are not illegal in Queensland as is the rabbit.  There is provision to select 'hare' in our adoption application form on our site. It is really FOSTERING not adopting because at a certain point the young leveret will wish to return to the wild. We release them at The Rabbit Sanctuary where is is nice and safe. Sometimes it is appropriate to release them where they were originally found if there are hares in that area and it is a safe place with natural water and away from roads and houses.

Nikki O'Hare is an adult girl hare.
She was hand raised by The Rabbit Sanctuary thanks to Foster Carer Marie Tuahine in Newcastle NSW.