Endangered hare found in an unexpected location for the first time in 40 years, but it was already dead

Scientists have announced the first confirmed sighting of the endangered hare in part of its range in 40 years, after discovering a completely flattened hare carcass on the side of the road.

When researchers were visiting Hainan Island in southern China for field research, one of the members happened to discover a traffic accident. Even though the carcass was badly disfigured, they quickly recognized it as a little-known Hainan rabbit (Lepus hainanus). This species is found only on Hainan Island and is one of the least studied members of the Lagomorpha, a group of mammals that includes rabbits, hares, and pikas, in the world.

The sighting occurred about 200 kilometers from the hare’s only known range in the northeast of the island, according to the study published in the magazine Manmaria on December 15, 2025.

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Although the hare is known to occur in some areas of southwestern Hainan, particularly in the Date National Nature Reserve, the latest car accident is the first confirmed record of the hare in northeastern Hainan since 1986, suggesting that an overlooked remnant population still exists in the region, the study said.

“The current range is wider than previously known, which gives us hope for this nationally endangered species,” Michael Hui, lead author of the study and conservation officer at the Hong Kong-based conservation organization Cudlee Farm Botanical Gardens (KFBG), told Live Science via email. “However, our article also provided an update on these types of strongholds in the western region, which are not as safe as traditionally assumed.”

Research suggests that historically, L. hainanus was widespread and abundant in most of the coastal lowlands of Hainan Island, mainly in the northwest, west, and south.

In the 1950s, the population of this species is thought to have been around 10,000 individuals. However, a particularly sharp decline was observed in the 1970s and 1980s. This is primarily due to habitat loss and excessive hunting for meat and fur.

A 2008 report estimated that there are probably only 250 to 500 individuals left on the island. Recently, the Hainan hare was listed as an “endangered species” on China’s Red List due to concerns about its status.

Hui said the species is rarely reported outside the Dateta National Nature Reserve, and even within the reserve, routine sightings are generally rare. A recent “rapid survey” of most of its historical range in western and northwestern Hainan province recorded only one living specimen, indicating that the species is disappearing in obscurity. However, the total population is unknown due to the lack of systematic island-wide survey data for the past few years.

L. hainanus is elusive because it is nocturnal and most of its preferred lowland habitats are outside protected areas, where it has traditionally not received research attention, Hui said.

“We believe that any new record, even a single ancillary record, will help inform future research and proposed conservation actions,” the authors write in their study.

Much of the hare’s habitat has been reduced by agricultural expansion and urban development. Therefore, island-wide surveys to understand its current status, distribution, and threats are essential to make informed conservation decisions, the study authors said.