Belgian hare
The Belgian hare is not a hare at all but a domestic rabbit bred in eighteenth-century Belgium to resemble one.
It arrived in Britain and then America, where it triggered a genuine speculative bubble around 1900 — the Belgian Hare Boom — with individual animals changing hands for extraordinary sums before the market collapsed.
It is a long, lean, arched rabbit standing high on fine legs, with a long head and large upright ears, weighing three to four and a half kilograms. The build is racy and the temperament matches: Belgian hares are nervous, highly alert and far more reactive than most breeds.
- Origin
- Belgium, 1700s
- Size
- 2.7–4.5 kg
- Lifespan
- 7–10 years
- Coat
- Short, glossy and flyback, rich chestnut
- Temperament
- Alert, nervous, active; startles easily
- Recognition
- Rare; conservation priority breed
3 belgian hare photos, newest first
Living with a belgian hare
This is not a beginner's rabbit. Belgian hares are genuinely highly strung, startle violently and can injure themselves against enclosure walls when frightened. They need a quiet location, a solid-sided pen rather than open wire, and calm handling from floor level.
They are also unusually active and need considerably more space than their weight suggests — room to run, not just to hop.
Groom weekly. Keep in neutered pairs, feed hay first, and vaccinate annually against myxomatosis and both RHD strains. The fine legs and nervous nature make careful, supported handling especially important.
General guidance, not veterinary advice. Individual rabbits vary, and anything about a specific animal is a question for a vet who has seen it.
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