Hares often make a surprise appearance on Africam’s cameras. But did you know that telling them apart isn’t easy? They’re nocturnal, so we mostly see them under infrared light.

Here are the three species you might spot:

🐇 Cape Hare

• Long, slender ears with black tips

• Sandy brown coat with a white belly and underside of tail

• Found widely in Southern Africa’s open plains and savannahs

• Behaviour: Often seen sitting upright scanning for danger before sprinting off in a zig-zag to evade predators.
  
  

🐇 Savannah Hare

• Similar in build to the Cape Hare but often more reddish-brown

• Slightly shorter ears, still with black tips

• Prefers grassy savannah regions, mainly in more northern and eastern areas

• Behaviour: Feeds mainly on grasses and herbs; freezes motionless when startled before darting away.
  
  

🐇 Scrub Hare

• Stockier with shorter legs

• Greyish-brown coat flecked with black and white, and a white under-tail

• Common in bushveld, scrub, and woodland habitats

• Behaviour: Solitary and secretive; rests in shallow scrapes during the day and becomes active at dusk to feed on grasses and shrubs.
  
  

Spotting the subtle differences in size, ear length, coat colour, and behaviour can be tricky at night, but each hare is perfectly adapted to its environment.

🔍 Tip: Watch their behaviour and note the habitat to help narrow down the species next time you see a swift shadow hopping by.