Mountain hares, found only in Scotland, face specific welfare challenges from climate-driven habitat change and driven shooting, while sharing broader threats with brown hares across Britain.
Mountain hare welfare is shaped by two distinct threats: climate-driven camouflage mismatch creating predation vulnerability, and organised culling on driven grouse moors. White-coated hares on snowless moorland are conspicuous to both aerial and terrestrial predators, increasing mortality during warm winters. The welfare implications of large-scale driven shoots are direct - hares are shot in groups, with wounding rates for driven quarry birds typically high. NatureScot's welfare objections to mass culls reflect genuine concerns about the welfare of animals shot in high numbers over short periods. Climate change projections suggest that the snow-cover conditions that trigger white coat moult will become progressively rarer, creating an escalating camouflage welfare problem.