Hares on Clare Island

baaba maal

Just back from a great weekend walking/wildlife watching on Clare Island. Just wondering if anyone knows when hares were brought to the island? I presume it was for hunting and eating but would love to know more. My inexperienced eye thought they were all a uniform rich brown colour with no variation- I guess from a small gene pool. Any facts or considered speculation most welcome!

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Their origins are included in this report.
https://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&q=clare%20island%20hares&ei=2AkjVMv4M8Tm7gaW1YC4AQ&url=http://www.clareisland.ie/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/flora-fauna-poster.pdf&cd=3&ved=0CCMQFjAC&usg=AFQjCNHbrJ5KP--ElZxlOHuuLFjn4CKA-g

baaba maal

Sorry Srameen- I'm seeing a brief mention of them in a poster format but no detail?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Apologies. If you google hares clare island you should get a list including"Part 17. Mammalia - Royal Irish Academy" . it's a pdf file. I don't know why a copy of the link is doing that!

baaba maal

Dammit- something up with it alright, it won't open for me. I'll try to open it in work tomorrow- thanks

whyulittle

Drop the .aspx at the end that Google brings up.

http://www.ria.ie/getmedia/332dd501-38ec-421f-a2fb-e5f48b16331f/17-Barrett-Hamilton.pdf

baaba maal

Thanks Whyulittle- dead on!!

Fascinating stuff and I certainly didn't think I'd get the name of the person who introduced them to the island- a certain JJ McCabe released six in 1906. He also released six rabbits the following year. Funny enough, just as reported in 1909, I noticed that the hares seemed to be doing better than the rabbits (kits being apparently more susceptible to raptor and corvid predation than leverets).
Btw, if you haven't been, it's a beautiful place altogether.

Capercaille

Overgrazing due to introduced rabbits (mostly)/Hares on offshore Islands has a negative effect on rare species like Corncrake/Twite. They should be removed.

baaba maal

Of course- I'm conscious of that, I was also interested in how they got there. I wonder did the people who made these sort of introductions think at all about the possible consequences (to be fair I'm thinking more of the "exotic" plant and animal introductions such as grey squirrels, laurel etc.)- different times I suppose.