The Irish hare is a master of camouflage and transformation. Its fur can change from deep chestnut to nearly white, especially in areas where snow occasionally falls.

The Brown Hare (Lepus europaeus) introduced here in the 19th century is confined mostly to northern counties. Its Irish name, giorria (hare) gallda (foreign) acknowledges its addition to our fauna.

Sir, – What’s happening to our native Irish hare? We know it has been in decline for the past 50 years, due to habitat loss arising from urbanisation and the downside of modern agriculture.

The Irish hare could be driven to extinction within decades unless action is taken to curb the spread of the invading European hare. That’s the stark warning that has spurred some of the world ...

The mountain hare is the obvious candidate. Arriving soon after the last ice age, it has been here long enough to develop Irish solutions to Irish problems; ours is a unique sub-species ...

The second reason for a ban is equally valid: the Irish hare is one of our few truly native mammals, a subspecies of the mountain hare that is unique to Ireland, a survivor of the last Ice Age ...