Mountain hares are Scotland only native lagomorph and face threats from climate change, tick-driven disease, and controversial mass culling on grouse moors. Understanding these issues informs effective advocacy.
Mountain hare welfare is affected by mass culling on grouse moors where thousands of animals are shot in single days. While legal in Scotland with appropriate licensing, large-scale culls raise welfare concerns about wounding rates, distress during driven shoots, and population-level impacts. Climate change increases predation vulnerability by reducing snow cover that winter camouflage evolved for. The conflict between grouse moor management and hare conservation has brought mountain hare welfare into active legal and political debate in Scotland.