East Anglia is one of the UK's last strongholds for brown hare which have suffered a shocking 80 percent decline in numbers since 1880. For conservation officer, Dr. Simone Bullion, hares are one of our most beautiful wild animals whose springtime antics are a cherished hallmark of the Suffolk countryside.

Brown hares are simply beautiful. Their legs and ears are longer than a rabbit's; the ears have black tips and their tail a black upper surface. Warm brown dorsal fur graduates to white on the belly and stunning golden eyes are set wide on their head.

Adapted for running, brown hares originate from areas of wide, open grassland in Europe and Asia. Unlike rabbits, they don't dig burrows and have to rely on their fleetness of foot to escape predators. Amazingly an adult brown hare can reach speeds of 45 miles per hour, similar to a grey hound or mounted racehorse!

Brown hares are now found throughout much of mainland Britain, with 60 percent of the current population occurring in the arable landscapes of the east. Basically nocturnal, hares lie up in individual shallow depressions known as 'forms' (which they have dug) during the day. These provide shelter and camouflage from potential predators. At dusk the hare will leave and travel to a feeding place.

Being strictly vegetarian, hares eat a variety of grasses, herbs and cereals. It is vital that they have a constant supply of food. Even short periods without can lead to starvation. Sometimes hares are blamed for cereal damage and occasionally they can damage root crops. However any losses are generally small and they cannot be considered a serious economic pest.

Mothers give birth to leverets from February onwards and the breeding season usually lasts until September. The young are born fully furred, sighted and mobile. Soon afterwards they disperse a short distance and the mother returns each day for around a month, to feed and clean them. Early litters, born during cold months, are usually small but numbers increase to three or four in the summer. There can be up to four litters a year. Recent research shows that hares are undergoing a long-term decline and the current population, concentrated in East Anglia, is only a fifth of that in 1880 when estimates suggest numbers were around four million. The reasons for this decline are complicated, but changes to farming practices are likely to have played a key part.

In arable areas, more winter cereals are now planted at the expense of later sown spring cereals and there is more oil seed rape and sugar beet. This means that while the new shoots provide plenty of food in winter, by spring and summer the cereal crop is inedible. Ley grass is also far less common, so hares have lost another important food source.

Consequently, in spring and summer when energy needs are at their highest, hares are forced to feed on a limited amount of wild food in hedgerows and woodlands. Survival rates of leverets are lower and this has reduced population size and stability. Shooting and hunting may also be taking its toll although the full impact is difficult to determine. Hares are unusual as the only game species in Britain without a close season and sadly they can be shot or hunted throughout the breeding season.

The current situation has officially been recognised by the government and the brown hare has been declared a BAP species (the focus of special conservation action). In Suffolk a plan has been drawn up by a partnership of relevant organisations to help reverse the decline of this magical animal and by working through this, the Trust hopes to secure the brown hare's future.