Elil is a Lapine word for enemy. Animals who prey on rabbits are called elil, and those animals include dogs, cats, foxes, weasels, stoats, badgers, pikes, snakes (As revealed in the TV series episode Friend and Enemy.), and birds of prey. Man is said to be most dangerous of all elil. In the animated television series, the animal elil who speak broken Lapine notably call rabbits 'Long Ears'. In the original book it is explained that "u hrair" means 'thousand' (or 'a lot', as rabbits cannot count beyond 4). it is a reference to the thousand enemies of rabbits.
Badgers[]
For more information, check out the page for Badgers.
Badgers, also known as Lendri in Lapine, are known elil. With the exception of Bark, a friendly badger from the TV series.
Cats[]
For more information, check out the page for Cats.
Cats, also known as a Pfeffa in Lapine, are known elil. Cats appear in every adaptation of Watership Down. One of the most known cats in the series is Tab, who injures Hazel.
Cats are one of the few elil who can speak (For an example, weasels can speak).
Crows[]
For more information, check out the page for Crows.
Crows, also known as a Corva in Lapine, are known elil. Crows only appear in the book, TV series and miniseries. Bigwig kills a crow in the miniseries after a group of crows trap Dandelion under some rocks.
Crows can't speak like some other elil.
Dogs[]
For more information, check out the page for Dogs.
Dogs are known elil. Dogs appear in every adaptation of Watership Down. One of the most known dogs in the series is Bob, who is led to the down to kill Woundwort.
Dogs, unlike other elil (For an example, a cat), can't speak along with owls, snakes, foxes and eagles.
Eagle[]
For more information, check out the page for Bird of Prey, which include Eagles.
Eagles are elil. Their most major role and only appearance is in the TV series. One eagle followed a flock of sheep that made their way to the down after they escaped from their farm.
Eagles, like dogs, snakes, foxes and owls, can't speak.
Foxes[]
For more information, check out the page for Foxes.
Foxes, also known as a Homba in Lapine, is a known elil. Foxes appear in every adaptation of Watership Down.
One of the most known foxes in the series is the fox that Bigwig leads away from his friends and onto an Efrafan wide patrol, killing Captain Mallow and a few others.
Foxes, like dogs, snakes, eagles and owls, can't speak.
Goats[]
Goats are not really elil, but in the TV series episode The Invasion, a goat and some sheep come to Watership Down warren after a severe storm broke their pen. When Bigwig confronts the goat, the goat throws him down and continues eating the bark off the tree. Hazel and Dandelion lead a sheepdog to the down to get the goats back to the farm.
Goats and sheep (With the exception of Frost who talks to Pipkin majority of the episode,) hate and/or don't care for rabbits and believe they can't be talked to.
Hawks[]
For more information, check out the page for Bird of Prey, which include Hawks.
Hawks, with the exception of Skree, is a elil to rabbits. Their most major role is in the TV series, mostly in season three, with Skree being a helper to the Watership Down rabbits after Kehaar leaves for the city with his mate Gluk.
Unlike other elil who call rabbits Long-ears, some hawks call rabbits by their species name.
Man[]
For more information, check out the page for Man.
Owls[]
For more information, check out the page for Owls.
Owls are known elil in the all adaptations. As they appeared in every adaptation with roles like attacking Hazel's group, or just sound affects or back-ground characters (Take the miniseries, TV series and Graphic Novel as examples.)
Owls can't speak.
Pikes[]
Rats[]
For more information, check out the page for Rats.
Rats are elil to rabbits. When the Sandleford escapees rest in an abandoned church, rats attack them, causing the rabbits to flee. But in the TV series, they play a more major role and aren't really elil anymore, helping in the battle against Efrafa by distracting the guards on the damaged bridge and biting the tree-roots of the guard post, causing it to fall and making Efrafa cave in.
Rats can't speak, but in the TV series, they make chattering noises.
Stoats[]
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For more information, check out the page for Stoats.
Stoats are elil that only appear in the TV series in The Mysterious Visitors when Pipkin believes he can fly, he gets cornered by a stoat on a cliff, fortunately, Hazel and his friends save Pipkin in time.
In season three of the TV series, weasels get a stoat-like appearance.
Snakes[]
Snakes are elil only appearing in the TV series episode Friend and Enemy. When Hazel and a injured Captain Campion get trapped in the Greenhouse, a snake chases them through it until Bigwig and Fiver manage to get them out.
Weasel[]
For more information, check out the page for Weasels, or, the TV series season 1 Weasel.
Weasels are elil to rabbits, their most major roles are in the TV series, where they appear in every season and only a few episodes on the same seasons.
In season three of the TV series, weasels get a stoat-like appearance.