Analysis of Cyprus hare population from breeding and hunting piont of view

Abstract

During this research the whole process of hare population from breeding and hunting point of view in Cyprus was analyzed. This thesis was constructed in three major parts. The first part gives to the reader some general information about the island of Cyprus such as geographical position, surface area, climate and terrain .It also deals with the current hunting regulations of the island, the necessary requirements needed to obtain a hunting license but it also proves that hunting is of great significance for the Cypriots, not just as a hobby or sport but as a tradition in general. The second part provides information about the European Hare or Brown Hare, (Lepus Europeus), which is the only Hare species present on the island. In this part, several aspects are analyzed such as the different hare species present around the world, general description of the Brown Hare, its scientific classification and ways how to differentiate between the two sexes. Other aspects related to the Brown Hare such as fertility, common diseases and parasites but also their diet, biotope and their habits are also discussed here. In the third part, I tried to analyze the population dynamics of hare population in Cyprus during the non-hunting and hunting season, and also the Breeding systems that they use in Cyprus to increase the population. Also deals with the common problems arising through this procedure such as poaching, reduction of habitat, pollution, predators and general considerations and management of those problems is discussed.