Home / Science / 12 Hares Accidentally Devastated Island Forest
12 Hares Accidentally Devastated Island Forest
23 Oct
Summary
- Introduced hares decimated island tree regeneration for nearly 50 years.
- Forests transformed into tangles as aging trees died off.
- Active removal efforts spanned decades before success in 2007.
In 1959, an ill-fated introduction of twelve snowshoe hares to Hay Island, New Brunswick, dramatically altered the local ecosystem. These non-native animals reproduced rapidly, spreading to Kent Island and preventing native trees like balsam fir and white spruce from regenerating. Their incessant browsing suppressed new growth, leading to the decline of mature trees and a shift towards dense undergrowth by the 1980s.
Ecological restoration efforts began in 1998, but removing the hares proved exceptionally difficult due to their rapid breeding and ability to hide in the dense vegetation. Despite repeated attempts, the hare population rebounded until a final, successful campaign in 2007 removed the last of the introduced animals. This removal marked the beginning of the island's ecological recovery, with vegetation showing signs of regrowth.
