Mountain hares are a native British species facing pressure from habitat loss, disease, and culling. Their welfare and conservation status are increasingly intertwined as populations decline.
Mountain hares are sentient animals capable of suffering, yet they have historically received limited welfare protection due to their status as a game species. Large-scale culls on grouse moors caused significant welfare concerns: hares were shot in drives, sometimes wounding rather than killing animals. The 2021 Protection of Mountain Hares Act brought legal protection to Scotland, ending unregulated culling. However, licensed culling for disease control continues. The welfare and conservation challenges are linked - restoring heather habitats and reducing intensively managed grouse moors would benefit both hare welfare and population recovery.