It is rare enough to spot a hare in its natural environment in the British countryside – let alone two.
So when photographer Lynne Newton stumbled across the elusive animals she eagerly started snapping.
At that exact moment, the rabbit relatives started boxing.
Spotted in Steart Marshes in Somerset, Lynne said the boxing match was a pretty unusual sight for this time of year.
Its usually seen in spring when the female is boxing off unwanted male attention, she said.
I went there early morning to try and find some hares to photograph.
Ive seen them there before but its such a huge place and hares move about so where you might see them one day you might not the next.
I spotted one hare, which I began photographing.
It was in and out of the shrubs and I thought it had gone.
Advertisement
Advertisement
I moved just a few yards on then I spotted the two of them boxing.
Why do hares box?
According to the Woodland Trust, hares become their most energetic in March in particular, which is when they are known to box frantically with one another.
This is because the hares are in their mating season, with the males (bucks) seeking out any females (does) that have come into season.
The bucks arent the ones responsible for the famous boxing – not with each other anyway.
Instead it is the females that initiate the behaviour.
This usually happens when a male is being too persistent with a female, chasing her across fields in an attempt to mate.
Eventually when she has had enough, shell turn around and try to fend him off by challenging him to a boxing match.
Advertisement
Advertisement
[contf]
[contfnew]
METRO
[contfnewc]
[contfnewc]