Hispid Hare in Bhutan

The hispid hare (Caprolagus hispidus), known locally and in older literature as the Assam rabbit or bristly rabbit, is a medium-sized lagomorph of the tall, wet alluvial grasslands of the southern Himalayan foothills. It is one of only two lagomorph species globally listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List and is a priority conservation target for the grassland biome of southern South Asia.^[1]

The species was confirmed in Bhutan by a 2015 camera-trap survey in Royal Manas National Park by researchers from the Department of Forests and Park Services, working across three grassland sites in the southern lowlands of the park. Eleven photographs of hispid hare were captured at a single station between March and May 2015, providing the first verified photographic evidence of the species' continued presence in Bhutan after several decades during which Bhutanese records consisted only of incidental sightings and pellet identifications.^[2]

The hispid hare's confirmed Bhutanese range is currently limited to the southern grasslands of Royal Manas National Park, with potential occurrence in Phipsoo Wildlife Sanctuary further west. The species' distribution is closely tied to the persistence of tall riverine grassland, making it a useful indicator of grassland habitat condition.^[2][3]

Description

The hispid hare is distinguished from sympatric Indian hare (Lepus nigricollis) by its short ears, dark brown coarse pelage and stocky build. The fur is genuinely bristly — the species' epithet hispidus means "bristly" or "rough" in Latin — and the underparts are paler than in most hares. Body length reaches about 50 cm and weight 1.8 to 2.5 kg. Unlike most hares the species is largely nocturnal and crepuscular, sheltering in burrows or in the bases of grass tussocks during the day.^[1][4]

Habitat in Bhutan

Hispid hare records from Bhutan come from tall-grassland tracts along the Manas River and its tributaries within Royal Manas National Park. The species selects grasslands dominated by elephant grass (Saccharum spontaneum) and other tall species reaching 2 to 4 metres in height, often interspersed with patches of shorter grass and scrub. Pellet counts from the 2015 survey concentrated along riverbed margins and the boundaries between tall and short grass, suggesting the species feeds in transitional zones and shelters within taller cover.^[2]

Phipsoo Wildlife Sanctuary, a 269 km² protected area on the Sarpang–Dagana border, contains comparable grassland habitat and has been identified as the second most likely Bhutanese stronghold for the species, although confirmed records have not yet been published. The wider hispid hare range in South Asia is limited to a string of tall-grassland sites including Bardia, Chitwan and Shuklaphanta in Nepal, parts of Manas in Assam, and Dudhwa in Uttar Pradesh.^[3][4]

Threats

The dominant threat to hispid hare across its range is the loss and degradation of tall grassland through dry-season burning, conversion to agriculture, overgrazing by livestock, weed invasion and harvesting of grass for fodder and thatch. Within Royal Manas National Park, the 2015 survey identified uncontrolled burning, livestock grazing and grass collection for elephant fodder as the principal pressures on the hare's habitat. Predation by free-ranging dogs and the loss of cover during the dry season are believed to drive seasonal mortality.^[2][5]

The species is sometimes incidentally trapped or hunted by local communities, although it is not a primary target of subsistence hunting in Bhutan. The greater concern is habitat-mediated decline through changes in grassland structure rather than direct offtake.

Conservation

The hispid hare is listed in Schedule I of the Forest and Nature Conservation Act of Bhutan, giving it the highest level of legal protection. Its conservation in Bhutan is largely incidental to the wider grassland and tiger conservation programme in Royal Manas National Park, which forms part of the transboundary Manas Tiger Conservation Landscape jointly managed with Manas National Park in Assam. International support has come from the IUCN Lagomorph Specialist Group, the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, and the Wildlife Conservation Network.^[1][2]

The species' role as a flagship for the southern grasslands biome — alongside the Bengal florican, hog deer and the now-likely-extirpated pygmy hog — is increasingly recognised in Bhutanese conservation planning, where high-altitude flagships such as the snow leopard and tiger have historically attracted more attention than lowland grassland species.

References

1. Caprolagus hispidus — IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
2. Endangered Hispid Hare in the Royal Manas National Park, Bhutan — Nidup et al.
3. Biodiversity Baseline Assessment of Phipsoo Wildlife Sanctuary — Asian Development Bank / DoFPS
4. Hispid Hare case study — Global Wildlife Conservation
5. Distribution Model Reveals Rapid Decline in Habitat Extent for Endangered Hispid Hare — Khanal et al.