Hop it! Pair of brown hares box each other as female fends off over-amorous buck

• Local photographer Paula Cooper recorded the footage near Swaffham, Norfolk
• Boxing normally breaks out between hares of opposite sex during mating season
• The bouts are traditionally considered a sign that spring is underway A pair of brown hares were caught on camera locked in paw-to-paw combat as a female fended off an amorous buck.

  Local photographer Paula Cooper recorded the footage in a field near Swaffham, Norfolk.

  She filmed the battle as the challengers continuously took swipes at one another with clumps of fur being torn off and carried by the wind.In the clip, recorded on April 2, the pair of brown hares can be seen standing tall on their hind legs amid the vegetation. The battle is already well underway as the duo continuously swipe at one another with clumps of white fur being pulled out and blown by the wind.Paul uploaded the video to Twitter alongside a caption that read: 'I stopped up the lane on the way home today and caught the most magical moment with hares boxing right in front of the car!' 

  She has since told Storyful that she had pulled over 'and was watching a number brown hares on some local fields when this pair ran right out and began boxing'.

  

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  Local photographer Paula Cooper recorded the footage in a field near Swaffham, Norfolk, as a pair of brown hares were locked in paw-to-paw combat

  

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  The challengers continuously took swipes at one another with clumps of fur being torn off and carried by the wind

  Paula added that the duelling duo began eating again shortly after she stopped filming with 'the female giving the male an odd glare'.  

  Boxing normally breaks out between hares of the opposite sex during mating season, between March and April, when males are being too persistent. 

  It is traditionally considered a sign that spring is underway.