The taxonomy of the Cape Hare is in urgent need of revision: the original descriptions of subspecies are seldom reliable as they are mostly based on a few morphological traits and a small number of individuals (Smith et al. 2018). As the range of morphological variation among areas and age classes is very high and has not been extensively studied, there is a lack of agreement among taxonomists and some authors suppose that a number of subspecies may go extinct before their formal identification (Johnston et al. 2019). Moreover, it has been shown that such variation is clinal; therefore, the distinction in subspecies might be arbitrary and unreasonable (Smith et al. 2018).

The genetic position of the only European Cape Hare population (occurring in Sardinia) was disregarded in the phylogeographic study conducted by Lado et al. (2019). However, Cape Hares are not native to Sardinia but supposedly stem from a small number of North African founders carried by seafarers (possibly from Tunisia or nearby regions of Libya or Algeria; Suchentrunk et al. 2006, Canu et al. 2012, Soria-Boix et al. 2019). The finding of a tibia of a hare in a late Bronze Age excavation site (Serra Niedda nuragic settlement) represents the oldest record for Sardinia, even though its dating was not certain (Wilkens and Delussu 2003). Unsurprisingly, the taxonomic position of the Sardinian Cape hare subpopulation is uncertain. Amori et al. (1996) and Mitchell-Jones et al. (1999) classified it as a subspecies of L. capensis and L. c. mediterraneus, and this classification is the one that receives the greatest consensus today (e.g., Schai-Braun and Hackländer 2016). In the work by Alves et al. (2003), where both mitochondrial and nuclear genes were analysed, the Sardinian Hare was grouped with L. capensis from Morocco and separated from South African L. capensis. Canu et al. (2012) found divergence among Sardinian hares, Tunisian Cape Hares, and Italian Brown Hares in terms of skull shape and both nuclear and mitochondrial genetic markers.

Today the Sardinian Hare is grouped with hares from the coastal regions of North Africa, to which it shows the highest morphological and genetic similarity (Alves et al. 2003, Ben Slimen et al. 2006, Scandura et al. 2007, Canu et al. 2012). This monophyletic group has been reported to be phylogenetically more related to L. europaeus and L. saxatilis, than to geographically distant South African L. capensis populations (e.g., Scandura et al. 2007, Koutsogiannouli et al. 2012). Thus, some authors suggested that hares from North Africa and Sardinia could represent a distinct taxon for which the name L. mediterraneus Wagner, 1841 was proposed (Alves et al. 2003, Pierpaoli et al. 1999, Scandura et al. 2007, Soria-Boix et al. 2019), but the debate remains open awaiting more comprehensive phylogeographic studies.

European regional assessment: Least Concern (LC)
EU 27 regional assessment: Least Concern (LC)

The Cape Hare (Lepus capensis) occurs in Europe as a result of historical introduction to Italy (Sardinia and some adjacent islands) and it is included (following the Guidelines for Application of IUCN Red List Criteria at Regional and National Levels; IUCN 2012) in the European Red List as a naturalised species whose introduction occurred prior to 1500 CE. The species stays Least Concern in Europe as although some declines in the Sardinian subpopulation have been noted, they are not thought to be of sufficient magnitude to warrant a Near Threatened listing. However, the population trends should be monitored.

In Europe, the species occurs only in Italy (Sardinia and in the surrounding islands of Asinara, San Pietro, and Sant’Antioco). These subpopulations are the result of multiple introductions in historical times (i.e., prior to 1500 CE), and hence are considered applicable for the European Red List. The distribution in Sardinia can be considered continuous from coasts and lowlands to the major reliefs (present in nearly 90% of the island). Although even recent reviews on Lepus capensis still report that this lagomorph occurs on Cyprus (e.g., Schai-Braun and Hackländer 2018, Johnston et al. 2019), already Kasapidis et al. (2005) and later Ashrafzadeh et al. (2018) revealed that the subpopulation on this island is actually represented by Lepus europaeus genetically related to the Anatolian subpopulations (Scandura et al. 2022).

The global geographic range includes the whole of the Arabian Peninsula and south through Africa to South Africa; the southern extent of occurrence includes the following countries: South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique (Johnston et al. 2019). The northern extent of occurrence includes: Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Eritrea, South Sudan, Sudan, Egypt, Libya, Chad, Niger, Tunisia, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Mali, Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, and Senegal (Johnston et al. 2019).

A declining trend was reported in 2010, although there are signals of an overall improvement in status, despite the great geographic heterogeneity. A recent investigation, based on spring spotlight census in hunting grounds, suggests a stabilization at medium-low densities in most areas of Sardinia (2–10 hares/km²). Nonetheless, spring densities higher than 50 hares/km² were occasionally unveiled both in protected and in nonprotected areas. The density values recently observed in Sardinia are similar to those previously recorded in the south of the island (1.6–7.3 hares/km² in 1994–1998), as well as in other parts of the species’ range (Scandura et al. 2022).

In Sardinia, the Cape Hare occurs in all environments, from the sea level to the mountains. It is common in habitats characterized by small, cultivated plots and arable land mixed with bushy areas (Mediterranean scrub) and grasslands (Scandura et al. 2022).

Threats to the species on the island are represented by predation, diseases (e.g., rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus type 2, RHDV2), poaching, overhunting, habitat fragmentation, fires, and pesticides used in agriculture. A further possible threat can be represented by the introduction of continental hares belonging to different species (namely Lepus europaeus) because of the possible ecological, sanitary, and genetic impact. Fortunately, no striking evidence of recent introduction/introgression has been detected so far by genetic inspection of hunted or captive-reared specimens (Scandura et al. 2022).

Hares are usually a game species particularly appreciated by hunters. As such they raise special interests and populations are usually managed to safeguard and possibly enhance their availability over time. However, a programmed form of hunting has never found application in Sardinia, yet prescribed by a national law, because of the opposition of local stakeholders (basically hunters). This lack, together with the scarcity of population data, has so far hampered the effective management of Cape Hares in Sardinia. Sardinian hares are typically hunted in autumn, between the end of September and October. In the last 10 years, the number of available days for hunting dropped from five to zero (and back to two in 2022) as consequence of precautionary initiatives aimed to cope with the declining trend of the species reported between the 1990s and 2010, yet with strong local variations (Scandura et al. 2022).

The species “Lepus capensis (europaeus)” appears in Appendix III (protected species) of the Bern Convention, but seems to be referred to an undistinguished taxon. The Cape Hare is not included in the Annexes of the EU Habitats Directive. The species is assessed as Least Concern globally (Johnston et al. 2019).