Mountain hares are facing dual threats from climate change and grouse moor management, with their white winter coat becoming increasingly maladaptive as snowfall declines.
Mountain hares face escalating welfare challenges as climate change creates a growing mismatch between their white winter camouflage and increasingly snow-free moorland. White hares on brown ground are highly visible to golden eagles, red foxes, and other predators, experiencing increased predation pressure and likely chronic stress from heightened predation risk. Populations under elevated predation stress show higher energetic costs from vigilance behaviour. Historic large-scale culling on grouse moors has reduced some populations dramatically, compounding climate-related pressures. Legal protection since 2021 in Scotland represents a welfare improvement by ending large-scale culls.