 The European hare is listed as being of Least Concern by the IUCN as it is considered to be wide @-@ ranging and moderately abundant throughout its geographic distribution . However , population declines have occurred since the 1960s and have possibly been caused by the intensification of agricultural practices . In low population densities , hare are vulnerable to local extinctions . The Bern Convention lists the hare under Appendix III as a protected species . Several countries have placed the species on their Red List as " near threatened " or " threatened " . The hare is considered a pest in some areas and is known to damage crops . They are also hunted as game animals . Additional threats to the hare are the diseases European brown hare syndrome , pasteurellosis , yersiniosis ( pseudo @-@ tuberculosis ) , coccidiosis and tularaemia , which are the principal sources of mortality . 
