A hemorrhagic virus: brown hare syndrome or EBHS
In recent weeks, numerous hare corpses have been found in different areas of Hérault. Aware of their role as sentinels of nature, many hunters then alerted the Hérault departmental federation of hunters (FDC 34) and several corpses were sent for analysis to the Departmental Laboratory as part of the SAGIR network. As announced by the FDC 34 on December 6, the first results show that these hares were affected by “brown hare syndrome” or EBHS. This is a virus that causes hemorrhages. The mortality rate can sometimes be very high. This disease, known for around twenty years, “appears” regularly at this time of year. However, it seems (for reasons unknown to date) that it will be particularly virulent in 2024.
Hunters’ sense of responsibility
This is why, even if the hare can be hunted until December 25, 2024, the FDC 34 has invited its hunters to reduce harvests or even close hare shooting hunting in advance in the event of a sharp drop in populations in their territory. . Faced with this recommendation and aware of the health risk incurred, several companies or associations of hunters in the department have decided to suspend hare hunting until December 11. These are hunters from the communes of Bélarga, Le Pouget, Plaissan, Pouzols, Puilacher and Tressan, in whose territories the disease is common among capuchins. This decision perfectly illustrates the sense of responsibility of players in the hunting world who do not need legal injunction to make the right decisions when it comes to the protection and development of biodiversity.
