Hare-Tolai — the Rabbit

Tolai Hare — Lepus tolay Pall (in Kyrgyz: kojon)

It inhabits almost the entire territory of Kyrgyzstan, except for areas of intensive agriculture (Chui Valley and the Pre-Fergana regions). It is distributed from the foothills to an altitude of 4000 m above sea level. It lives in quite diverse ecological conditions, but prefers desert or semi-desert areas and dry steppes.

It usually adheres to sparse shrubs, chia thickets, dried riverbeds, and ravines, slopes of mountains covered with large boulders, and other places where there are various types of cover. In dense floodplain forests, it stays in clearings, especially rocky or sandy ones, and enters the edges of spruce and juniper forests. It avoids deep snow.

The population of the tolai hare depends on many factors, primarily on its excessive hunting. It used to be abundant everywhere.

Along the entire coast of Issyk-Kul and in the surrounding dry foothills, hares were numerous. The same was observed in the valleys of the Naryn, At-Bashi, Kochkorka, Tulek rivers, etc., where on a 4-5 kilometer route, it was possible to flush out 8 to 10 hares. As a result of poaching by local hunters (near populated areas and various exploratory parties), in some places the number of hares sharply decreased, down to two or three animals on the same route.

Less noticeable were the fluctuations and reductions in the number of hares on the treeless slopes of the Fergana Range.

The same density was observed in the Toguz-Torouz region (valleys of the Kok-Iyrim and Tuurakain rivers).  

The population of hares, with reasonable regulation of their hunting, can quickly recover, as they reproduce quite intensively.

In the Chui Valley, the hare is absent and is very rarely found in the Kyrgyz Range. The highest density is observed along the coast of Issyk-Kul and in the surrounding mountains. In the Osh region, there is a high density in the Ala-Buka forestry, somewhat lower along the southern spurs of the Chatkal Range (pistachio and walnut forests), while in the southern part of the region, the density is low.

The breeding season for the tolai hare begins in February, and pregnant females can be found throughout spring and summer until September.

According to this, albeit limited, data, the young are born as early as March (on April 6, a young one weighed 560 g). Pregnant females were not found in September or later. Within 6 months, females apparently manage to produce three litters. This is confirmed by the presence of placental spots in pregnant females in August, which are well noticeable and diffuse.

The tolai hare, as a game animal, is more of a target for sport hunting than for commercial hunting.

Its meat is consumed, the fragile fur is hardly used in the fur industry, but it is used for making felt products.

Fauna - Animal World of Kyrgyzstan