With the help of about 100 experts and volunteers, the Municipality of Utrecht relocated around 80 hares this weekend from Papendorp and Strijkviertel to the Rijnenburg polder. The hares were confined in a too small habitat between roads and residential areas, in a place where construction is planned. The animals now have more living space and can join the hares already living there.
Linda Voortman, Alderman for Green and Animal Welfare: “It is beyond doubt that we urgently need the extra homes in Papendorp, and the new circular business park in Strijkviertel also meets a great need. But it is also our duty to handle our urban nature carefully, in this case the hares. We do this by relocating them to a larger habitat. With this careful action, Utrecht shows that we are a city that attaches great importance to the value of animals and nature.”
Hare as a protected species
In Papendorp, 3,650 new homes will be built in the coming years, and in Strijkviertel work is underway on the development of a circular business park. The new homes and space for entrepreneurs are urgently needed in the city, but also limit the habitat of the hare. The hare is a protected species in the province of Utrecht. Therefore, the Municipality of Utrecht and the province have made efforts to catch the hares in an animal-friendly way and find a good new place for the animals. That place is Rijnenburg.
Part of research
The relocation of the hares is being monitored as part of scientific research. The municipality has collaborated with experts from the educational and research institute Van Hall Larenstein. At the end of 2025, some of the hares already living in Rijnenburg were fitted with transmitters. Also, some hares from Papendorp and Strijkviertel received transmitters. In the coming months, researchers will observe how the hares react to each other. This research provides a valuable contribution to future area developments in the Netherlands, where the interests of people and nature often conflict when it comes to scarce space.
Course of the action
On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, a group of volunteers was active early in the morning in different areas to catch the hares. By systematically walking in a line in one direction, the hares were driven up. Trained people were ready to catch and fit them with transmitters. Afterwards, they were transported to Rijnenburg and released there.
Help and contact – Municipality of Utrecht
Visiting address
Stadsplateau 1
3521 AZ Utrecht
Postal address
Postbus 16200
3500 CE Utrecht